Home > Policy position: alcohol and cancer risk.

World Cancer Research Fund International. (2024) Policy position: alcohol and cancer risk. London: World Cancer Research Fund International.

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This report outlines the policy measures needed to reduce alcohol harms. We recommend that all countries develop, implement, and/or strengthen their alcohol policies, strategies or action plans to support population-level reduction of alcohol consumption. These policies can be implemented as a set of interventions, or ideally comprise national or subnational alcohol strategies or guidelines.

We also highlight issues such as language and public messaging, which can affect how the link between cancer risk and alcohol is understood. For instance, terms like “responsible drinking” or “moderate drinking” can mislead consumers. Instead, messages should emphasise that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for cancer prevention.

The alcohol industry should not be involved in any policy development processes, as it often misrepresents the risks of alcohol consumption and works to circumvent regulations. Governments must recognise and mitigate the influence of the alcohol industry in policy development and health information dissemination.

The impact of no and low-alcohol (NoLo) products on overall alcohol consumption is unclear. These products should be monitored to ensure they do not encourage increased alcohol use or mislead consumers.

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