Highlights
- The proportion of Ontario adults drinking more alcohol than recommended for cancer prevention (no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women) has not changed over the past decade.
- Nearly 1 million Ontario adults reported exceeding the cancer prevention recommendations for alcohol consumption in 2012.
The proportion of Ontario adults drinking more alcohol than recommended for cancer prevention has not changed since at least as far back as 2003. In 2012, 9.1% of men and 8.6% of women reported drinking alcohol in excess of the cancer prevention recommendations set by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR), which are defined as no more than 2 drinks a day for men and no more than 1 drink a day for women.[1]
Although these proportions are relatively low, they represent nearly 1 million Ontario adults, with far more than that drinking to some extent—in 2012, 83% of men and 74% of women reported having at least 1 drink in the past 12 months.[2] The percentage of those at increased risk of alcohol-related cancer has historically been higher for men than for women, but the difference between the sexes has narrowed in recent years. However, exceeding the WCRF/AICR recommendations is higher among certain groups of people, such as those with greater incomes.
Even small amounts of drinking are of concern because there is no established “safe” lower limit of alcohol consumption to prevent an increased risk of cancer. The WCRF/AICR recommendations allow for some alcohol intake because they recognize the potential heart health benefits of light to moderate consumption.[1] Drinking alcoholic beverages causes cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus (primarily squamous cell carcinoma), larynx and liver.[3] It is also a cause of colorectal and breast cancers, 2 of the 3 leading causes of cancer death in Ontario. As many as 3,000 new cancer cases in the province are attributable to alcohol consumption each year. [2]
Unfortunately, awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for cancer is low, with survey data showing that only a third of Canadians are aware that they can lower their risk of cancer by reducing their alcohol intake.[4] This represents a substantial opportunity for increasing public awareness that drinking alcohol is an avoidable cancer risk factor.