Alcohol is responsible for almostone in ten deaths in the Europe Regionaccording to the World Health Organization (WHO). And, although few people know it, it can be the cause of breast cancer.
According to estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), alcohol consumption was responsible for nearly 40,000 new cases of breast cancer in the Europe Region in 2020.
More than 8000 cas of breast cancer per year in France are linked to alcoholaccording to the National Cancer Institute.
While the month of October is dedicated to screening for breast cancer, which kills 670,000 people per year, only 21% of women surveyed by WHO Europe knew the link between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the risk of developing breast cancer. Yet this risk exists, even with low levels of alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is linked to more than 200 diseases, including at least seven types of cancer, including breast and colon cancers. Less than half of Europeans are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer.
Better understand your relationship with drinking
The regional office is launching a new campaign to address the information gap by sharing the latest research on the health effects of alcohol and encouraging open discussions about the often overlooked harms of these drinks.
The “Redefine Alcohol” campaign invites Europeans to think about their personal and societal relationships with alcohol and to reconsider the role of alcohol in daily life, celebrations and traditions.
“Beyond its physical effects, these drinks also contribute to broader societal problems,” says Dr Gauden Galea, strategic advisor to the WHO regional director for Europe and director of the Special Initiative on non-communicable diseases and innovation.
Consumption of alcoholic beverages is a key factor in violenceincluding sexual and gender-based violence, since accidentents road and other forms of harm that affect not only drinkers, but also their families and communities.
WHO survey on Europeans’ knowledge of the link between alcohol and breast cancer
Alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, consumption among teenagers
