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Should Australia mandate cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks?

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Alcohol Causes Huge Harm in Australia

Isn’t a Glass of Wine or Two Good for Me?

Most of us know heavy drinking is unhealthy. Yet the belief a few glasses of wine helps protect against heart disease and other conditions has persisted. That is despite evidence in recent years showing the benefits have been overestimated and the harms underplayed.

In fact, any level of alcohol use increases the risk for several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer (affecting the large intestine and rectum) and breast cancer.

Australians Unaware of the Risk

While the harms are well-known to researchers, many Australians remain unaware. Figures vary, but at best only 59% of us know about the direct link between alcohol and cancer (and at worst, just one in five are aware).

Perhaps the best evidence this message has failed to sink in is our continued love affair with alcohol. In 2022–23, 69% of us drank alcohol, with one in three doing so at levels deemed risky by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

What Are Other Countries Doing?

Like Australia, the US already has warnings on alcohol about its impacts on unborn children and a person’s ability to operate cars and machinery. The US Surgeon General wants additional explicit warnings about cancer risk to be compulsory.

This follows Ireland, the first country to mandate cancer labels for alcohol. From 2026, alcohol packaging will include the warning: “there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers”.

Other countries, including Norway and Thailand, are also reportedly investigating cancer warning labels.

Will Australia Follow Suit?

Australian health bodies have been advocating for cancer warnings on drink packaging for over a decade. Currently, whether to include warnings about alcohol’s general health risks is at the discretion of the manufacturer.

Many use vague “drink responsibly” messages or templates provided by DrinkWise, an organisation funded by the alcohol industry.

We now have a template for how introducing cancer and other health warnings might work. With pregnancy labels, the government consulted public health and industry bodies and gave a three-year transition period for manufacturers to adjust.

Would It Work?

We know the existing “drink responsibly”-style warnings are not enough. Research shows consumers find these messages ambiguous. But would warnings about cancer be an improvement?

Ireland’s rules are yet to come into effect, and it’s too early to tell how well South Korea’s policy has worked (there are also limitations given manufacturers can choose a warning not related to cancer). But a trial of cancer warnings in one Canadian liquor store found they increased knowledge of the alcohol–cancer link by 10% among store customers.

Conclusion

It may take years before Australia changes its rules on alcohol labelling. In the meantime, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the current national low-risk drinking guidelines, which aim to minimise harm from alcohol across a range of health conditions.

FAQs

Q: How many new cancer cases will develop across the lifetimes of the 18.8 million Australian adults who were alive in 2016?

A: According to one study, approximately 249,700 new cancers will arise due to alcohol.

Q: What are the main health risks associated with alcohol use?

A: The main health risks associated with alcohol use are increased risk for several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer, as well as all-cause mortality.

Q: How many Australians are aware of the direct link between alcohol and cancer?

A: According to figures, at best only 59% of Australians are aware of the direct link between alcohol and cancer, and at worst, just one in five are aware.

Q: Would warnings about cancer on alcohol packaging be effective in reducing consumption?

A: Yes, research suggests that warnings about cancer on alcohol packaging could increase awareness about the risks and reduce consumption.

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