More than two alcoholic drinks a week increases cancer risk, scientists say

The mindset surrounding alcohol has changed rapidly. In the past, it was said that 10 to 15 drinks a week was the limit and in the past few months, that has changed to just two.

Scientists are now saying any more than that can lead to an increased risk of cancer, meaning an alcoholic drink may actually be doing you more harm than good.

A new campaign by BC Cancer is shedding light on those risks.

“Even though I do think that lots of people, lots of British Columbians know that alcohol has some damaging effect on our health, the knowledge that it causes cancer is actually pretty limited in Canada,” said cancer prevention senior scientist Dr. Cheryl Peters.

2:53 New Canadian guidelines suggest limiting alcohol consumption to 2 drinks per week

The public health initiative comes after guidelines released by the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction at the beginning of the year.

The report recommends Canadians only have one to two drinks per week and any more than that could increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or a stroke.

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“For any individual person, it’s really difficult to say this is going to increase your risk by this much. That’s why we are taking this tactic that is if you can reduce, if you are a person that chooses to drink alcohol, cutting back a little bit is a great choice for your health,” Peters said.

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BC Cancer says alcohol contributes to 7,000 cancer cases in Canada each year. The agency says the body breaks down the alcohol into other chemicals that can cause inflammation or damage to DNA over time. This prevents the body from repairing the damage properly.

There are also at least seven types of cancer directly linked to alcohol usage.

“The big ones include breast and colorectal but kind of a lot that have to do with your face and mouth. So inside your mouth, your larynx, your esophagus — kind of that part where alcohol goes in,” said Peters.

6:50 Health Matters: New alcohol guidelines and addressing stigma around substance abuse

BC Cancer and the provincial ministry of health want the public to be informed before they choose to drink alcohol. However, people in the Okanagan say this won’t curb their drinking habits.

“It’s not going to slow me down, really. I think it’s part of my life so I’m going to have a couple beers,” said Matt McJannet.

“Sometimes you just have to relax and have some fun and enjoy yourself. But my motto in life is moderation, whether it’s alcohol, whether it’s eating,” said Peter.

BC Cancer says although the safest option is to stop consuming alcohol, you can also lower your risk by having a glass of water between each drink.