Did you know that every day, 46 people in the UK are diagnosed with an alcohol-related cancer? That equates to over 17,000 people every year, making alcohol the sixth biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK.
The science is clear. Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to at least seven types of cancer including breast, bowel, mouth, throat, oesophageal, liver, and stomach. Yet despite this, government policy to prevent and address alcohol’s many harms, including cancer, remains woefully inadequate. In short, the bar is too low.
When it comes to cancer, part the problem is the public’s very low awareness. When asked unprompted, only 7% (or 1 in 14) of UK adults are aware that alcohol increases their cancer risk and 25% (or 1 in 4) believe there is no health risk attached to drinking alcohol.
These worrying statistics were uncovered by a poll commissioned by the World Cancer Research Fund as part of Cancer Prevention Action Week for 2025.
Our vision of the world is one where no one dies of a preventable cancer. As a leading authority on cancer prevention and partner to the World Health Organization, World Cancer Research Fund synthesises global research on nutrition, physical activity and alcohol in relation to cancer risk. Based on the latest evidence, we formulate Cancer Prevention Recommendations, which are scientifically backed to reduce preventable cancers.
This year, our spotlight is on alcohol, not to blame individuals, but to highlight the urgent need for systemic change to tackle the widespread harm it causes. Although individual choices are important, they are heavily shaped by our environment. The onus is one government and the alcohol industry to change this environment.
Research in the UK and globally points to several overlapping reasons for the persistent policy inertia on alcohol. Powerful lobbying efforts by the alcohol industry have long sought to influence policymakers and shape public discourse to delay or dilute regulation, placing profits over public health.
Political risk-aversion plays a significant role too. Alcohol is deeply woven into British culture and policymakers are cautious not to appear as though they are dictating people’s personal lives and choices. This is despite the public being largely in favour of government interventions on health and not viewing it as ‘nanny statism’.
Alcohol lobbies also mobilise arguments about distilleries and breweries as important job and wealth creators, and contributors to economic growth. This leads alcohol to be often viewed through an economic lens of employment and tax revenue, rather than the immense cost it has to society and its role in driving economic inactivity due to ill health and social issues.
Furthermore, responsibility for alcohol policy is fragmented across multiple government departments, including health, treasury, trade, and culture, diluting accountability and hindering coordinated action.
Ultimately, this inertia has created a significant policy gap. England has had no National Alcohol Strategy since 2012, and unlike tobacco or unhealthy food, alcohol has never been the focus of sustained, joined-up public health action. Efforts remain fragmented and often focused on crime and disorder rather than health and prevention. There is also a lack of harmonisation across the devolved nations with Scotland and Wales taking more concerted action with Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP).
Meanwhile, consumers have access to more information on a bottle of orange juice than a bottle of beer, the latter of which isn’t even required to list its ingredients, never mind its cancer risk. This lack of information is a missed opportunity to prevent cancer and other alcohol harms before they start. People deserve to know what they are consuming and the associated risks, given consequences affect individuals, families, the NHS, and wider society.
Industry influence must be acknowledged and sufficiently limited to protect health policy from commercial interests. Public awareness of alcohol’s cancer risks must increase so that people are not only well-informed, but back policy change. Health professionals need support and training to discuss alcohol risks routinely with patients. Tackling health inequalities is also essential, focusing resources where alcohol-related harms are most severe.
We already have examples to follow. Scotland and Wales have implemented MUP and are reaping the benefits of reduced consumption and deaths. Crucially, government needs to take the lead, with clear accountability and coordinated action across departments. For example, alcohol must be addressed as a priority risk factor in the upcoming National Cancer Plan for England. To find out more about our vision for tackling alcohol and cancer, read my colleague Kate’s blog post for the Alcohol Health Alliance.
Cancer Prevention Action Week is a call to action, and we will continue our calls long after our campaign week is over, until meaningful change happens. In particular, we look forward to Alcohol Change UK’s upcoming Alcohol Awareness Week with the theme of alcohol and work (7-13th July), which will highlight yet another aspect of our lives that alcohol impacts.
Join our movement by signing and sharing our petition
calling for a National Alcohol Strategy. Together, we can disrupt the silence, challenge industry influence, and prevent thousands of cancers in the UK every year.
