Only one in five women in 14 European countries understands the link between drinking and breast cancer, according to a shocking WHO Europe finding. Data was collected from 14 European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. The WHO’s statement emphasises the issue, including breast cancer, the most frequent with 600,000 cases in Europe in 2022.
Alcohol’s impact on oestrogen levels cannot be ignored. Since moderate drinking contributes to the risk and lowers the level of alcohol to 0.5 g/day, or two modest glasses of wine, more than 50% of European breast cancer cases will be alcohol-related.
According to 2020 International Agency for Cancer Research data, 39,248 of 575,917 new breast cancer cases were alcohol-related. In 2022, breast cancer was the second most common disease worldwide, with 2.3 million cases, prompting awareness and prevention of modifiable risk factors like alcohol usage.
The WHO recommends national policies to improve Europeans’ alcohol habits. Alcoholic products should carry the same health warning as tobacco to remind customers of their risks, according to the Association. Although we have the highest alcohol-related deaths in the world, one in ten, we have not changed per capita intake since 2010. This demonstrates the urgency of the issue and the need for actions to reduce harmful effects and promote health.
