A glass of wine each evening is enough to increase your risk of developing cancer, women are being warned.
Consuming just one drink a day causes an extra 7,000 cancer cases - mostly breast cancer - in UK women each year, Cancer Research UK scientists say.
The risk goes up the more you drink, whether spirits, wine or beer, the data on over a million women suggests.
Overall, alcohol is to blame for about 13% of breast, liver, rectum, mouth and throat cancers, the researchers say.
They estimate that about 5,000 cases of breast cancer in the UK - 11% of the 45,000 cases diagnosed each year - can be attributed to women's consumption of alcohol.
The study looked specifically at women who consumed low to moderate levels of alcohol - defined as three drinks a day or fewer.
Over the seven years of the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a quarter of the 1.3 million women reported drinking no alcohol.
About 5% of all cancers in the UK are due to drinking something in the order of one alcoholic drink a day Lead author Dr Naomi Allen
Of those who did drink, virtually all consumed fewer than 21 drinks per week, and an average of 10g of alcohol per day, which is equivalent to just over one unit of alcohol found in half a pint of lager, a 125ml glass of wine or a single measure of spirits.
Nearly 70,000 of the middle-aged women developed cancer and a pattern emerged with alcohol consumption.
One too many?
Consuming one drink a day increased the risk of all types of cancer by 6% in women up to the age of 75.
The rates for individual cancers varied, with one drink a day causing a 12% rise in the risk of breast cancer, a 10% rise in rectal cancer, a 22% rise in gullet cancer, a 29% rise in mouth cancer and a 44% rise in throat cancer.
On a population scale, this would mean 15 extra cases of these cancers diagnosed for every 1,000 women - comprising 11 breast, one mouth, one rectal cancer and 0.7 each for cancers of the gullet, throat and liver.
The government says no amount of alcohol is fully safe, but recommends women should drink no more than two to three units per day on a regular basis to have a lower risk of any harm to health.
For men the recommended limit is no more than three to four units per day.
Mixed messages
Lead author Dr Naomi Allen from the University of Oxford said her work would help the government assess whether the limits should be changed, although the study did not look at men.
"The findings of this report show quite strongly that even low levels of drinking that were regarded to be safe do increase cancer risk.
"About 5% of all cancers in the UK are due to drinking something in the order of one alcoholic drink a day."
She said there was confusion about how much people should drink. Research has shown a daily tipple can be good for the heart. And factors other than alcohol pose a bigger risk for certain cancers.
"It is up to individual people to make their own decision. All of us to some extent have to weigh up the risks and take some responsibility for our health," said Dr Allen.
Around 80% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women aged over 50, so limiting how much you drink is one step you can take to try to reduce your risk of developing the disease Dr Sarah Cant,
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
A Department of Health spokesman said: "We keep our guidance on sensible drinking under review. We currently advise on a lower risk drinking limit and that drinking above this level could be harmful.
"There is no completely safe level of drinking but this lower level reflects the known risks including breast cancer, which is partly why there is a lower drinking limit for women.
"We look forward to examining this research in more detail."
Dr Sarah Cant of Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "We already know that drinking alcohol can increase your risk of breast cancer.
"This study suggests that for women over 50 even drinking moderate amounts of any type of alcohol can have many health consequences, including a greater chance of developing breast cancer.
"Around 80% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women aged over 50, so limiting how much you drink is one step you can take to try to reduce your risk of developing the disease."
Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK. Each year almost 45,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. A woman's lifetime risk for breast cancer in the UK is one in nine.
Subhan allah there is nothing in Islam was forbidden without a reason, people out there are just trying to find any excuse to attack islam but when they look at their own research results they realized the truth
"There is no completely safe level of drinking but this lower level reflects the known risks including breast cancer, which is partly why there is a lower drinking limit for women.
"I spent thirty years learning manners, and I spent twenty years learning knowledge."
Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran (Surat Al Baqarah verse 219)
They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some Benefit for men; but the sin is greater than the Benefit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah make clear to you His Signs: in order that ye may consider.― (219)
May I add in memory of my colleagues who passed on February 13th in a head on collision, the drunk driver who came at them full speed is in the hospital recovering, while the two engaged young doctors a third and first year residents died instantly.
I personally believe there should be a law banning drinking but I know it will not happen. I am aggrieved by their loss, knowing full well what they endured to get there only to be snuffed out in the prime of their life by an idiot exercising his 'freedom to drink'..
Thank you
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
While you might consider my opinion of little value I feel it is worth pointing out that driving under the influence is banned but did nothing to prevent this tragic event.
We learned from Prohibition and the ban on narcotics in the modern day that such measures lead to a massive increase in organised crime and do not prevent people from gaining access to these substances.
Though I am obviously not Muslim I do not drink at all and believe that drinking to excess is a big problem for society, but I sincerely doubt that an outright ban would cure it. Personal discretion must be exercised by the public and I doubt such a thing can be forced upon them.
...
We learned from Prohibition and the ban on narcotics in the modern day that such measures lead to a massive increase in organised crime and do not prevent people from gaining access to these substances....
The ban didn;t work for many reasons. One of them was because it was an all out ban - not a progressive one.
Though I am obviously not Muslim I do not drink at all and believe that drinking to excess is a big problem for society, but I sincerely doubt that an outright ban would cure it. Personal discretion must be exercised by the public and I doubt such a thing can be forced upon them.
You're correct. Should such a ban occur, it would have to done through stages similar to the smoking ban. Whilst it won't eliminate the problem overnight, it will reduce it.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
While you might consider my opinion of little value I feel it is worth pointing out that driving under the influence is banned but did nothing to prevent this tragic event.
Perhaps alcohol should be banned in public places too and with better monitoring. Drunk driving cases rarely happen in muslim countries.
format_quote Originally Posted by Azy
We learned from Prohibition and the ban on narcotics in the modern day that such measures lead to a massive increase in organised crime and do not prevent people from gaining access to these substances.
How many cases are there for driving stoned vs driving drunk?
It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allâh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkîn (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât, and gives the Zakât, and keep their word whenever they make a promise, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of persecution, hardship, and war. Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious).
While you might consider my opinion of little value...
Though I am obviously not Muslim I do not drink at all and believe that drinking to excess is a big problem for society, but I sincerely doubt that an outright ban would cure it. Personal discretion must be exercised by the public and I doubt such a thing can be forced upon them.
Piling on the guilt a la UK anti-smoking campaigns might make some headway.
Sadly drunk driving is often seen as being funny. A drunk driver is not a comedian he is a murderer or a potential murderer.
Somebody arrested for drunk driving, without an accident involved should be arrested for Criminal Assault with intent to kill and not get a simple DWI. If an accident is involved the minimum charge should be attempted First degree murder. If a death occurs, premeditated murder not manslaughter or negligent homicide.
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About 5% of all cancers in the UK are due to drinking something in the order of one alcoholic drink a day
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