Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, said:
"We are hearing from cancer charities that the National Cancer Plan contains some strong measures, when it comes to screening, diagnosis and treatment. Treatment is vital, but as we all know, prevention is even better. So, it's helpful that the National Cancer Plan recognises alcohol as a key risk factor for cancer. What's missing from the Plan, however, are any new measures targeting alcohol harm to prevent cancer, beyond what is already in the Government's 10 Year Health Plan.
"The commitment to health warnings on alcoholic drinks labels in the 10 Year Health Plan is a good first step, but if we're serious about really preventing cancer, and all harms caused by alcohol, we need a better plan of action.
"Labelling reform must be combined with a package of measures, including putting an end to super-cheap booze, tightening the controls on advertising and better regulating round the clock availability of alcohol from supermarkets and delivery apps. Together, these would reduce harmful alcohol consumption and prevent alcohol-related cancers before they happen."
The plan focuses on ensuring people receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment, and the support to live well with cancer. These aims will be supported by a £2.3 billion investment in testing, robot-assisted surgery, providing treatment for people with rarer cancers at specialist cancer centres, offering genomic testing to patients who would benefit, and technologies to allow patients to access waiting lists across NHS organisations in their area.
The plan also notes the government’s action on the preventable causes of cancer: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, obesity, alcohol consumption, and excessive UV exposure. They also note the importance of prevention in reducing inequalities, pointing to differences related to social class and ethnicity in exposure to cancer risk factors. The plan highlights that LGBT+ people have “higher rates of tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and lower screening uptake.”
On alcohol specifically, the National Cancer Plan refers to measures already noted in the 10 Year Health Plan:
- Introducing new mandatory health warnings and nutritional information on labels
- Supporting the growth in the no- and low-market
- Exploring changing the threshold at which a product can be described as “alcohol free”
A new measure not previously mentioned is the aim of exploring options to encourage people to reduce their alcohol intake with no- and low- alternatives.
The evidence is clear that alcohol consumption increases our risk of cancer, even when drinking alcohol at low levels. Our recent research found that even among those of us drinking under 14 units of alcohol a week, which the Chief Medical Officers define as “low risk”, we see higher prevalence of cancer.
This week also saw a report from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer highlight alcohol as one of the big three contributors to more than 18 million preventable cancer cases around the world alongside smoking tobacco and infections, after analysing 30 factors known to increase cancer risk.
However, public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains low. This is because the alcohol industry is working hard on preventing us from knowing the whole truth about the link between cancer and their products, as the alcohol industry self-regulates the labelling of alcoholic drinks. Research from the Alcohol Health Alliance found that only 3% of alcohol product labels include a general health warning. Research has also shown that awareness of alcohol as a cancer risk factor is linked with greater public support for effective alcohol policies that reduce the risk.
That’s why Alcohol Change UK called for the introduction of mandatory health warning labels on alcoholic products to increase awareness of the link between alcohol and harms, including cancer. We were pleased to see the Government commit to this policy in the 10 Year Health Plan. Proper health information on alcoholic drinks labels, set out in law, and free from the influence of the alcohol industry, will enable more people to understand the health risks associated with our alcohol consumption.
Yet, we need more action so that whenever we want to make a positive change to our relationship to alcohol, we are supported not hindered. The Government can do this by making our environment less alcohol-centric and reducing the affordability, availability, and marketing of alcohol, alongside mandatory alcohol labelling, to improve our health. You can read the full written evidence we provided to inform the development of the National Cancer Plan.
Read the press release and National Cancer Plan.
