Cancer Prevention Action Week 2025

Our Cancer Prevention Action Week 2025 campaign is highlighting the links between alcohol and cancer.

Alcohol and cancer: let’s talk

In the UK, alcohol is a huge part of how many of us socialise, relax, and celebrate. But do we really know the risks we’re taking when we drink?

Our research shows that most people don’t know that drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of 7 types of cancer.

Nearly 4% of cancer cases are down to alcohol – this is currently around 17.000 new cases every year.

This Cancer Prevention Action Week #CPAW we want to spark a national debate: with friends, family – and within Government – about alcohol and cancer.

It’s time to start talking about alcohol and cancer, so that everyone can make more informed choices about alcohol and their health.

Be in the know

Alcohol and cancer: the evidence

Too many people don’t know that drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of 7 types of cancer. This year we’re encouraging people to talk about alcohol and cancer to start building higher awareness not only among the public but also in government. We want to start a conversation that will help people lead longer, healthier lives.

There is strong evidence that all types of alcoholic drink can increase the risk of 7 cancers:

breast
bowel
head and neck
oesophageal
liver
stomach

Alcoholic drinks are also high in calories and often high in sugar, increasing your risk of gaining weight. Living with overweight or obesity increases our risk of at least 13 different types of cancer.

Cutting back on alcohol – or, ideally, stopping entirely – is always a good idea for our health. After all, it’s one of our scientifically backed and fully evidenced Cancer Prevention Recommendations. There’s never been a better time to cut back, with many alternatives to alcohol widely available. More people are taking up the ‘sober curious’ lifestyle and reaping its health benefits.

Consider how you can cut back in your own life and set an encouraging example for others to follow. Why not replace a drink with a donation to World Cancer Research Fund as a reminder of why it’s so important to be aware of how much, when, and why you drink?

What role do governments play?

There isn’t enough awareness about the true, long-term harms of alcohol – even though alcohol-related deaths have increased by 38% since 2019.

Alongside the immeasurable human cost, is the economic burden placed on society. Alcohol-related cancers cost the NHS alone an estimated £100m annually.

Despite these stark figures, Government action on alcohol remains woefully inadequate. There has been no National Alcohol Strategy since 2012.

If we are to reduce the impact of alcohol on our health, we need change at a national level.

That’s why we are calling on the UK Government to introduce a National Alcohol Strategy in England that includes:

Mandatory alcohol labelling on calories and cancer risk
Minimum unit pricing, that is uprated with inflation
Strengthened marketing restrictions on alcohol

Only then can we ensure people have the right information to make decisions about their health.

Are you a health professional?

Health professionals have a vital role to play in helping people to reduce how much alcohol they drink. One of our recent surveys showed half of Brits would be comfortable discussing their drinking habits with their health professional.

We will have different material available including: