Huron County, ON – The less you drink, the better. When it comes to alcohol, the more a person drinks, the higher the risk of cancer. Drinking less can lower your risk of colorectal, breast and liver cancers as well as mouth, throat and neck cancers. In 2010, Cancer Care Ontario estimated that alcohol contributed to up to 3,000 cases of cancer in Ontario.
It is important for Huron County residents to know the link between cancer and alcohol because the majority of adults drink alcohol. “We want Huron County adults to rethink their drinking,” says Annie Lukacsovics, Public Health Promoter with the Huron County Health Unit. “When adults gradually decrease the amount of alcohol they drink, they reduce their cancer risk and live a healthier lifestyle. This is especially important for those who have a strong family history of cancer.”
For individuals looking to specifically reduce their cancer risk, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends women have less than one drink a day and men have less than two drinks a day. Women are more vulnerable to the health effects of alcohol even when drinking small amounts.
“You can set small reasonable goals for yourselves,” says Lukacsovics. “For example, if you are a regular drinker, aim to have a few alcohol-free days each week. Take it one day at a time with the overall goal of drinking less to reduce your cancer risk.”
Research shows that only one third of Canadians know they can lower their risk of cancer by reducing how much alcohol they drink. It is important to know that there is no “safe” amount of alcohol when it comes to a person’s risk of cancer. The less alcohol you drink, the more you reduce your risk.
Rethink Your Drinking is a campaign to help change the way we think about and use alcohol. To learn more, visit rethinkyourdrinking.ca or call the Huron County Health Unit at 519.482.3416 or 1.877.837.6143.
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For more information:
Our media contact is: Rita Marshall, Communications Coordinator, Huron County Health Unit, 519.482.3416 or toll-free 1.877.837.6143 ext. 2023 or rmarshall@huroncounty.ca
Our spokesperson is: Annie Lukacsovics, Public Health Promoter. Our media contact will connect you to our spokesperson on this topic.