Alcohol should have labels warning drinkers of cancer risks, charities say
Cans and bottles of beer, wine and spirits should explicitly warn drinkers that alcohol causes cancer, an unprecedented alliance of doctors, charities and public experts have said.
Warning labels would tackle 'shockingly low' public awareness in the UK that alcohol is proven to cause seven forms of cancer and 17,000 cases a year of the disease, they claim.
Dozens of medical and health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to take the radical step of compelling alcohol producers to include such warnings in order to improve public health. The labels must be 'bold and unambiguous', said the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which coordinated the letter.
'The evidence is clear: health labelling on alcoholic drinks is urgently needed in the UK to help save lives,' it said. 'They should carry strong, clear messages about the health risks, which include the risk of cancer, far beyond vague advice like 'consume in moderation'.'
Kate Oldridge-Turner, the WCRF's head of policy and public affairs, said: 'Providing alcohol warning labels would empower millions to make informed choices by clearly understanding the risks.'
Evidence cited by charities such as the WCRF and Cancer Research UK shows that alcohol increases the risk of breast, bowel, stomach, head, neck, liver and mouth cancer.
Ireland is to become the first country in the world to include cancer warning labels on alcoholic products. From next May, alcohol sold in the republic will have to carry a warning that 'there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers'. The labels will also warn that drinking can cause liver disease and affect foetuses.
Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, urged the UK to follow suit. He said: 'We must look to the fearless work of our neighbours in Ireland whose new labelling policy provides a level playing field for all producers, leaving no room for loopholes or hiding information behind QR codes or tiny print.
'Improved alcohol labelling, including clear health warnings about the link to cancer, is not just a public health measure, it's a fundamental consumer right. People deserve to know the risks so they can make informed choices about their health. But current labels and weak regulations are keeping drinkers in the dark.'
The drinks industry dismissed the call and said warnings would make drinkers anxious.
A spokesperson for the Portman Group, a drinks industry-funded body that oversees alcohol labelling in the UK, said: 'Whilst we do not dispute the link between alcohol and certain cancers, and that drinking at harmful levels is dangerous and increases risks, blanket cancer warning labels are not a proportionate policy measure and do not put the risks into an appropriate context.
'This can create unnecessary anxiety, eroding trust in health advice and alienating the very people who require support.'
The spokesperson said most alcohol products already included advice from the chief medical officers of the UK's four home nations to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. 'Most people already drink within this guidance, which means their risks for associated diseases are low', they said.
In February, the World Health Organization's European office declared: 'Clear and prominent health warning labels on alcohol, which include a specific cancer warning, are a cornerstone of the right to health.'
In a report, it urged governments to introduce them to help reduce alcohol-related harm and raise awareness of the link between drinking and cancer.
Dr Gauden Galea, a WHO adviser, said in the report that policymakers should 'resist all the pressure that will inevitably come from commercial actors' who claim such warnings do not work.
In January, Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general under the then president, Joe Biden, said cancer warning labels were needed because drinking led to about 100,000 cancer diagnoses a year in the US. It was the third most common preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity, he added.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'Drinking alcohol increases the risk of a range of health issues, including several cancers. That is why we recommend people drink within the UK chief medical officer's alcohol guidelines of fewer than 14 units a week, and strongly recommend these are displayed clearly on all alcohol products.
'We recognise the need for more action on the impact of alcohol on health; for too long there has been an unwillingness to lead on this issue. Our plan for change will shift healthcare towards prevention, including through early intervention, to support people to live longer, healthier lives across the UK.'
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The Sun
an hour ago
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The Sun
an hour ago
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NHS docs saved me after I nearly died from £6k mummy makeover in Poland… but here's why I'll never regret it
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'I did feel bad turning up for help after having an elective operation abroad, but the nurses were kind and said that they had a duty of care. Scans showed the operation had been done properly and the infection was just one of those things. 'People might criticise me for using NHS resources to sort out a complication. But I'd argue that I paid privately for my initial gastric sleeve to lose the weight, as well as the tummy tuck, and now I'm healthier overall. 'That's better for the NHS in the long run.' Lois had always been a skinny size 8 until she fell pregnant for the first time in July 2016, going on to have four babies in six years – Theo, eight, Koen, seven, Rion, four, and Indi-Blu, two. 'I needed an emergency c-section with my first and second births, so the doctors recommended I have planned ones with the next two,' she says. 'I was glad my babies arrived safely but it left me with messy scarring on my tummy and an overhang. 'Looking after small children was so tiring and busy. I'd barely eat all day, just graze on snacks and their leftovers. It meant I was starving by the time they were in bed and ended up eating ready meals or takeaways. 'The weight crept up and up with each pregnancy. I tried Slimming World but it was difficult to stick to it.' I lost 100lbs doing the Keto diet and did a mummy makeover to get rid of the loose skin but it was worth it - people are stunned by my transformation By the time she had her youngest child in October 2022, Lois weighed 16st 5lbs and was a size 22, despite being 5ft 4ins tall. 'The idea of going shopping horrified me and I lived in leggings because jeans cut into my tummy,' she says. 'I lost all my confidence and never wanted to leave the house. All my friends were still slim - I felt like the odd one out. My fiancé Kieron loved me as I was but I knew I needed to take action for my own wellbeing, mentally and physically.' I lost all my confidence and never wanted to leave the house. All my friends were still slim - I felt like the odd one out In September 2023, full time mum Lois travelled to Turkey after saving up £2,150 for a gastric sleeve operation, with her dad Darren accompanying her while Kieron, 30, cared for their children at home. 11 11 11 'I'd been to see my GP for help but all they could offer was a long waiting list for a weight management programme,' she says. 'I needed something more drastic. I knew a couple of people who'd had a gastric sleeve and been very successful. I worried it was the 'easy' way out but I couldn't see how I'd manage to lose all this weight otherwise. 'Melting away' 'I'll admit that, at first, I found the recovery mentally challenging and wondered if I'd done the right thing. 'I hate soup but that was all I could eat to start, slowly moving onto purees and mashed up meals. The protein shakes were disgusting too. I'd watch Kieron and the kids eating a nice dinner and feel like I was missing out.' But while she hated being unable to eat proper food, Lois was thrilled with the impact on her size. 'I lost a stone in the month and it just kept melting away. It was quite dramatic,' she says. 'Within a year, I'd lost nearly 7st and was a size 8, just as I'd hoped.' But the extreme weight loss came with side effects – a 'saggy' tummy pouch and boobs. 'I wanted to wear nice fitted clothes but it was impossible to hide the loose skin around my middle,' Lois says. 'My breasts had gone from a 47F to a 34DD but had lost their shape. I knew from doing my research that this was likely to happen but I still felt really conscious of it. 11 'I was also frustrated that I'd lost all that weight but was still hiding my body away in leggings and baggy tops. Shapewear could only do so much.' After doing her research, Lois started saving again for a tummy tuck, abroad, this time in Poland. After squirrelling away pennies, Lois had a surprising windfall. 'I'd had to quit my job in a nursery after the kids so I knew it was going to take a while to get the money,' she says. I worried it was the 'easy' way out but I couldn't see how I'd manage to lose all this weight otherwise 'I was putting every spare penny away, once the bills were paid and the kids catered for. I'd treat myself to a go on the online slots a couple of times a week. I couldn't believe it when I hit the jackpot and won £5,000. 'I was screaming and knew immediately that it was my chance to do something for myself and have the surgery.' Losing her dad to a sudden brain bleed in September 2024, at the age of only 56, made her more determined to take action. 'He'd promised he would come with me once I had saved enough for the tummy tuck,' she says. 'My dad was really proud of how I'd lost the weight and was taking control of my life.' In November 2024, Lois travelled to Wroclaw, Poland, with her mum, booking into an apartment near the hospital for a week. 'So scary' The trip and surgery cost £6,100 in total, with Lois topping up her winnings with savings. 'I didn't hesitate to use the money for my surgery – it was my dream,' she says. 'When I left my kids to go for the gastric sleeve, I couldn't stop crying. This time around I was so excited.' Lois had booked a tummy tuck, liposuction on her hips and upper abdomen, and breast implants. I just couldn't stop looking at my new body – I was delighted But after meeting her surgeon, he advised her to have a breast uplift instead. 'I was disappointed but it made me trust him more because he could have just taken my money and done what I'd asked for,' she says. During the five-hour operation, Lois had 1.2kg of loose tummy skin removed and her three c-section scars were aligned into one neat line. 'The recovery was fine, I was up walking after a couple of hours,' she says. Pain wise, I would say my c-sections were worse. I just couldn't stop looking at my new body – I was delighted.' With everything in order, she returned home and was healing well until she came down with flu-like symptoms two weeks after the operation. 'I was dripping with sweat but felt freezing, I felt dizzy and my heart was racing,' she recalls. 'I tried to push through it but when I met some mum friends at the playground, they told me I looked shocking and I should contact the doctor immediately.' After calling 111 and explaining about her recent op, Lois was sent to Salford Royal Hospital, where she needed emergency surgery to treat an infection in a wound. 'It was so scary,' she says. 'They had to put me back to sleep and unstitch my belly button to drain fluid off. The doctors said I was lucky I caught it when I did or I might have died.' The mum spent the next ten days recovering in hospital on IV antibiotics. 'The doctors were really understanding and it wasn't the surgeon's fault – it was one of those things,' she says. 'My immune system was very weak for a few months afterwards and I have a scar on my hip, but I feel fine now.' The doctors said I was lucky I caught it when I did or I might have died Today, Lois is 9st 2lbs and feels like she has her old self back. 'All surgery comes with risks and I knew there might be complications, so I'll never regret it,' she says. 'It gives you a better life for your kids, to be able to run about with them and stuff. I'm also more confident, I've always got my legs out and can wear belly tops. I'm finally able to think about planning my wedding too. 'Everyone says how good I look – I even got stopped by one of the shop assistants in my local Lidl the other day. Being able to look at normal sized clothing instead of plus size and 4XL makes everything worth it. I'm a trendy mum now.' 11
