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Alcohol

There is convincing evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the bowel, breast, mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus and liver. Enjoy non-alcoholic drinks.  

Avoid alcohol. Even drinking small amounts of alcohol increases your cancer risk. The more you drink, the greater the risk.

If you choose to drink, have as many alcohol free days each week as possible and consume no more than one standard drink per day for women or two standard drinks per day for men. 

Types of alcohol and cancer risk

The type of alcohol you drink doesn’t make any difference. Beer, wine and spirits all increase your risk of cancer.

Other health problems and alcohol

Heavy use of alcohol is linked to many health problems such as cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, alcohol dependence, stroke, suicide, injury and car accidents. Even at low intake, alcohol contains a lot of energy (kilojoules or calories) so it can easily contribute to weight gain. Being overweight or obese also increases your cancer risk.

Alcohol and heart disease

In the past, researchers believed red wine might have had health benefits for heart disease, but this does not appear to be the case. There are better things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease as well as cancer, such as not smoking, healthy eating, being physically active and maintaining a healthy bodyweight. It is important to look at the risks and benefits of drinking alcohol for you personally.

Smoking and alcohol

It has been known for a long time that smoking is harmful to health. The combined effects of smoking and alcohol greatly increase the risk of cancer (more so than from either of these factors alone). Up to 75 per cent of cancers of the upper airway and digestive tract can be related to the combined use of alcohol and smoking.

What should I do?

To reduce your risk of cancer, if you don’t drink, don’t start. If you choose to drink:
  • Limit your intake.
  • For men – no more than two standard drinks a day.
  • For women – no more than one standard drink a day.
  • Avoid binge drinking. Do not “save” your drinks using alcohol-free days, only to consume them in one session.
  • Have at least two alcohol-free days every week.
  • Choose low alcohol drinks.
  • Eat food when you drink.
One standard drink is:
  • 100ml wine (1 bottle = 7 standard drinks).
  • 285ml (1 middy) of full strength beer.
  • 425ml (1 schooner) of low alcohol beer.
  • 30ml (1 nip) of spirits.
  • 60ml (2 nips) of sherry or port.
  • 220-250ml alcoholic soda (2/3 bottle).
Cocktails may contain more than three standard drinks!

Enjoy yourself while drinking less:
  • Only drink alcohol with meals, not in between meals.
  • Enjoy a wine spritzer (wine mixed with soda water or mineral water) instead of straight wine.
  • Make the change to light beer.
  • Order half nips of spirits.
  • Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
  • Stick to water to quench your thirst.
  • Sip alcoholic drinks slowly.
  • Don’t fill your wine glasses to the top.
  • Wait until your glass is empty before topping it up.

More information:

For more information contact your doctor or call the Cancer Council Helpline (toll free) on 13 11 20.
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