- 86% do not know of the link between alcohol and breast cancer
- 34% have never been asked how much they drink by a healthcare professional.
New survey by Alcohol Concern to launch its Dry January campaign finds that people do not know about the link between alcohol and cancer and that healthcare professionals are not asking enough questions about how much people are drinking.
The survey of more than 2,000 UK adults showed a worrying lack of knowledge about the illnesses caused by alcohol. It also found that people are not being asked routinely about how much alcohol they drink by their GP or nurse.
“It’s all too easy to slip into unhealthy habits and find that you’re drinking alcohol at a level which can put you at risk for a range of illnesses such as cancer and stroke.
“These survey results showed we are still not having the right conversation about alcohol. It’s really important that healthcare professionals ask people about how much alcohol they drink which is why we’re encouraging them to use Dry January as an opportunity to start new conversations with their patients about alcohol.
“Dry January is aimed at people who do not have an alcohol problem but who might be drinking a bit too much, too often. Having the break allows us all to think about what we’re drinking, break those bad habits and in the long term cut down and improve our health.”
The survey reveals that while many people understand the relationship between drinking too much alcohol and liver disease, there remain other common illnesses such as cancer, where there is strong evidence to show they can be caused by drinking too much alcohol, which the public do not know about.
- 66% of people did not know of the link between alcohol and bowel cancer.
- 59% of people did know of the link between alcohol and stroke.
- 58% of people did not know of the link between alcohol and mouth or throat cancer.
But people do seem to be getting the message about alcohol and depression, (59% knew the link) and alcohol and reduced fertility (58% knew the link).
The survey also asked the public if they have ever been asked by a range of different healthcare professionals about the amount of alcohol they consume. Over a third of people (34%) said that they had never been asked about their consumption and only half of all people (52%) said they had been asked about alcohol by their GP.
- 52% had been asked how much they drink by their GP
- 29% had been asked by a nurse
- 11% had been asked by a dentist
- 3% had been asked by a pharmacist
- 34% had never been asked by one of the above.
This survey and launch of the Dry January campaign comes ahead of the annual Alcohol Awareness Week which is coordinated by Alcohol Concern. Started on Monday 18th November, health staff were being encouraged to use the week to encourage people to sign up to give the Dry January challenge a go in 2014.
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