Why tobacco-style warnings on alcohol bottles can aid fight against cancer

New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) Adopting tobacco-style warning labels on alcohol bottles can be a key measure to prevent the rising burden of cancer in India, said experts on Tuesday.

A recent paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, called for strong, evidence-based warning labels on alcohol products, building on India’s success with tobacco warnings.

Alcohol, like tobacco, is a proven carcinogen linked to several cancers, including liver, breast and colon, yet awareness remains low.

“Cancer warning labels on alcohol bottles are a low-cost, high-impact intervention that can raise awareness, influence consumption habits, and prevent long-term health harm,” lead author Dr Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, told IANS.

“With India having one of the fastest-growing alcohol markets and the largest adolescent population globally, adopting such preventive measures is not just necessary but urgent to protect our youth and reduce the nation’s growing burden of alcohol-related cancers,” the oncologist added.

Cancer cases in India have seen a steep rise, with data from the 2012 to 2022 period suggesting a 36 per cent uptick in incidence (1.01 million−1.38 million).

Data from GLOBOCAN 2022 showed about 1.41 million new cancer cases in India, with a five-year prevalence of around 3.25 million and a total cancer mortality of 916,827 cases.

The alcohol attributable fraction for cancer and age-standardised rate per 100,000 in India are 4.7 per cent and 4.8, respectively, according to the GLOBOCAN 2020 data.

“Alcohol consumption in India is rising at an alarming pace, particularly among adolescents and young adults, making it a silent driver of preventable cancers. Evidence now confirms there is no safe level of alcohol use when it comes to cancer risk, with links to cancers of the colon, breast, liver, oral cavity, and more,” Shankar said.

“Among preventable diseases and deaths, alcohol-related conditions rank high. It raises the risk of many types of cancer and also liver cirrhosis -- all of which are expensive and cumbersome to treat,” added Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Chairman, Scientific Committee, IMA Cochin.

The expert also called out against glorifying the use of alcohol in movies.

“Unfortunately, our movie culture glorifies alcohol use, with younger viewers wanting to emulate movie characters despite statutory warnings. There is also rampant misinformation circulating on social media claiming the health benefits of alcohol, almost all of which have been proven wrong. Still, many people wrongly believe it is good for the heart. Therefore, it is important to include clear health-related labels,” Jayadevan told IANS.

Meanwhile, studies have linked alcohol consumption with more than 20 types of cancers.

The most common cancers linked to alcohol are of the mouth, throat, foodpipe, stomach, colon, rectum, and pancreas. It also causes cancers of the breast in women and prostate in males..

According to experts, chronic alcohol consumption weakens the immune system, reducing its capacity to identify and destroy cancerous cells.

“India successfully demonstrated the power of pictorial warnings on tobacco in shifting behaviors and saving lives. It is time we apply the same public health tool to alcohol. With rising alcohol use, especially among youth, it’s time to act proactively to prevent avoidable cancers and save lives,” Shankar told IANS.

--IANS

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