Alcohol and cancer
On 8 July 2025, there will be a Commons debate on alcohol and cancer. The debate will be led by Cat Smith MP. The Library will publish a briefing ahead of the debate.
Alcohol consumption is commonly discussed in terms of ‘units’, which expresses the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink. In the UK, one unit of alcohol is defined as 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol.
The NHS has published ‘low risk drinking advice’, which sets out:
- men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis
- if you drink as much as 14 units a week, it's best to spread this evenly over 3 or more days
- if you're trying to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it's a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week
- if you're pregnant or trying to become pregnant, the safest approach is to not drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum
Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most days and weeks.
The risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis.
By following this advice, a person can keep their risk of alcohol-related harm low.
The short-term effects of alcohol consumption include increased talkativeness, impaired judgement and decision making, increased reaction time, decreased co-ordination, slurred speech, and increased likelihood of accidents.
Alcohol misuseAccording to the NHS, alcohol misuse occurs when a person drinks in a way that is harmful, or when that person is dependent on alcohol.
The NHS website explains that the short-term risks of alcohol misuse include:
- accidents and injuries requiring hospital treatment, such as ahead injury,
- violent behaviour and being a victim of violence,
- unprotected sex that could potentially lead to unplanned pregnancy orsexually transmitted infections (STIs),
- loss of personal possessions, such as wallets, keys or mobile phones, and
- alcohol poisoning– this may lead to vomiting, fits (seizures) and falling
The short-term effects of alcohol misuse include accidents and injuries that require hospital treatment, violent behaviour and becoming a victim of violence, unprotected sexual activity that may lead to unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The long term effects include, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) and cancer (see below).
Alcohol and cancerAlcohol can contribute to the development of cancer by:
- damaging cells and stopping cells from repairing the damage,
- affecting chemical signals which can make cells divide more often, and
- making it easier for cells in the mouth and throat to absorb harmful chemicals.
Cancer Research UK has explained that alcohol is linked to 7 types of cancer: mouth, upper throat, larynx (the ‘voice box’), oesophagus (the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach), breast, liver and bowel.
Government action on alcohol harmThe government’s most recent Alcohol Strategy for England was published in March 2012 by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. Background on this is available in the Library’s briefing, the 2012 Alcohol Strategy for England (January 2023).
In February 2019, the government appointed Professor Dame Carol Black to lead a two-part review into drug-related harms and ways to reduce them.
Phase Two of the review made several recommendations to address alcohol dependency, treatment and support, including securing more funding for alcohol-related services. The Conservative Government’s substantive response to the review, From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives, was published as a policy paper in December 2021. It accepted all the review’s key recommendations.
Section 2.2 of the Library briefing, the 2012 Alcohol Strategy for England (January 2023), provides more background on the government’s policy paper.
The Labour Government has not committed to producing a new alcohol strategy. However, as part of its Health Mission, it has committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives.
10-year health plan for EnglandThe government published its 10 Year Health Plan for England in July 2025. It set out how the government would:
[…] reinvent the NHS through 3 radical shifts:
- hospital to community
- analogue to digital
- sickness to prevention
In the plan, the government said it would tackle harmful alcohol consumption by introducing new standards for alcohol labelling. It would:
- strengthen existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The government said this would ensure greater public awareness of the health risks of alcohol consumption and help consumers make more informed, healthier choices.
- Consult on increasing the alcohol content threshold at which a drink can be described as alcohol free, from 0.05% to 0.5% ABV.
- Consider restricting no- and low- alcohol products, so that they are treated like all alcohol products, including banning sales to under 18-year-olds.
The government has said it will publish a its National Cancer Plan later in 2025. It will set out how the government will address cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research.
The 10 Year Health Plan for England also set out a range of government commitments on cancer, including the development of a new health data research service to support new treatments, and increasing access and uptake of cancer screening services.
Minimum unit pricingIn August 2024, the Labour government said it had no plans to introduce minimum unit pricing.
When asked about the same issue in March 2025, the government referred to its ambitions under the Health Mission to prioritise public health measures, and said it would continue to work across government to understand what can be done to address the drivers of alcohol-related harms.
Minimum unit pricing was introduced in Scotland in 2018.
Alcohol misuse treatment and recovery servicesPublic health provision for alcohol misuse is a devolved matter.
In England, local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol misuse (and other public health) services. In practice, alcohol misuse services are commonly delivered alongside drug misuse services. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) provides funding for this through the annual ringfenced public health grant which is shared between local authorities in England. The government has set aside £3.9 billion for grant allocations for 2025/26.
Additional to the public health grant, in 2025/26 the DHSC is providing £310 million to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, in line with recommendations made in Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs (2020 and 2021). Several grants that were previously used to support this have been consolidated into a single drug and alcohol treatment and recovery improvement grant (DATRIG). The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published local authority allocations for 2025/26 DATRIG.
Cancer cases attributable to drinking alcoholThe International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) publish estimates of the number of new cancer cases attributable to drinking alcohol.
Estimates are reported for seven cancer types where there is strong evidence that they are linked to alcohol consumption.
The seven types are cancers of breast, colorectum, larynx, liver, oesophagus, oral cavity and pharynx.
The table below shows the latest 2020 based estimates of new cancer cases attributable to alcohol consumption for the UK.
The central estimates suggest that around 17,000 new cancer cases in the UK in 2020 were attributable to drinking alcohol. Over half of these cases were due to colorectal (6,100) and breast cancer (4,100).
However, please note that there is a degree of uncertainty with these estimates as expressed by the confidence intervals (CIs) associated with the data. These indicate a lower and upper range within which the actual value is expected to sit.
Source: IARC Cancers Attributable to Alcohol data tool
The central estimate for the UK of 17,000 new cancers attributable to drinking alcohol represents around 4.1% of all cancers. However, the rate for specific cancers can be higher, with central estimates showing that just under a third of cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are attributable to drinking alcohol.
Source: IARC Cancers Attributable to Alcohol data tool
Further Reading News ArticlesWorld Cancer Research Fund, We applaud launch of 10-Year Health Plan, but there are still shortcomings, 3 July 2025
Institute of Alcohol Studies, Why are we still not telling the public the truth about alcohol and cancer?, 25 June 2025
Association of Directors of Public Health, Time for a new strategy to fight alcohol harm, 25 June 2025
The Grocer, Alcohol-packaging should carry cancer risk warning, charities say, 23 June 2025
Academic Articles
Susan M. Gapstur and Others, “The IARC perspective on alcohol reduction or cessation and cancer risk”, New England Journal of Medicine – Vol 389 No 60, 27 December 2023
Parliamentary MaterialAsked by: Cat Smith | 4 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 57258
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) recognise and (b) address the increased risk of developing cancer associated with alcohol consumption.
Answered by: Ashley Dalton | Department: Department of Health and Social Care | 30 Jun 2025
Alcohol has been identified as a causal factor in more than 200 medical conditions, including mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers. The Government is committed to reversing the trend on alcohol-specific deaths and shortening the amount of time people spend in ill-health related to due to alcohol-related harm.
Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms. Furthermore, the National Cancer Plan will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care- as well as prevention and research and innovation. The plan will build on the shift from sickness to prevention set out by the 10-Year Health Plan and will seek to reduce risk factors.
The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines state: “The risk of developing a range of health problems (including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases the more you drink on a regular basis” and that “To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis”. The low risk drinking guidelines are available at the following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80b7ed40f0b623026951db/UK_CMOs__report.pdf
Asked by: Cat Smith | 4 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 57262
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the four out of 10 cases of cancer which are preventable.
Answered by: Ashley Dalton | Department: Department of Health and Social Care | 23 June 2025
The Government recognises the importance of primary and secondary prevention, to reduce the number of people with cancer.
There are significant national programmes across vaccination, screening, and education, which have the potential to support both reductions in cases of cancer, and increases in early diagnosis rates. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has led to a substantial reduction in cervical cancer cases. All children aged 12 to 13 years old in England, those in Year 8, are offered the HPV vaccine, and NHS England is taking action to increase uptake, as outlined in the NHS Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect certain types of HPV infection, which is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancer.
Smoking is the cause of 72% of all lung cancers, and in response to this, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation through the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country.
The Government and the National Health Service also recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of certain cancers. To address risks related to overweight and obesity across the United Kingdom, the Government has laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink products, and is taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. The Department will continue to work across the Government to understand how to reduce alcohol-related harms in England and the UK. The Government and the NHS recognise the importance of physical activity for the prevention and management of long-term health conditions.
The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later this year, will set out how we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.
Asked by: Peter Fortune | 3 February 2025 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 57262
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding the Government provided for research into hepatocellular carcinoma in the 2023-24 financial year; and which public bodies provided that funding.
Answered by: Feryal Clark | Department: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 11 February 2025
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds medical research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR funds, enables, and delivers high-quality research to improve patient care and public health and supports liver research through a range of funding programmes, training, support for researchers and facilities.
UKRI delivers a substantial portfolio of researcher-led projects. This includes biological, physiological, mechanistic and clinical studies to investigate the causes and underpin the development of treatments for a variety of liver conditions/diseases.
Details of UKRI and NIHR funding on specific areas is provided in the table below:
UIN
NIHR funding in FY 2023/24
UKRI Funding in FY 2023/24
28175
Hepatitis B
NIHR allocated £220,741 for research concerning Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C research in 2023-24.
The total commitment across UKRI in 2023-24 for Hepatitis B research was £1,810,412 for 2 awards from MRC.
28176
Hepatitis C
UKRI did not commit any specific funding for obstructive Hepatitis C research in 2023-24.
28177
Hepatocellular carcinoma
NIHR allocated £1,633,698 for research concerning hepatocellular carcinoma research in 2023-24.
The total commitment across UKRI in 2023-24 for hepatocellular carcinoma research was £2,758,044 for 5 awards (1 award from MRC and 4 awards from centrally managed UKRI schemes).
28178
Cholangiocarcinoma
NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning cholangiocarcinoma research in 2023-24
The total commitment across UKRI in 2023-24 for cholangiocarcinoma research was £187,096 (1 award from centrally managed UKRI schemes). The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) committed £17,595 in 2023-24 for cholangiocarcinoma research for 1 award.
28179
Biliary cirrhosis
NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning primary biliary cirrhosis research in 2023-24
UKRI did not commit any funding for primary biliary cirrhosis research in 2023-24.
28180
Sclerosing cholangitis
NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning primary sclerosing cholangitis research in 2023-24
UKRI did not commit any funding for primary sclerosing cholangitis research in 2023-24.
28181
Autoimmune hepatitis
NIHR did not allocate any funds concerning autoimmune hepatitis research in 2023-24
UKRI did not commit any funding for autoimmune hepatitis research in 2023-24.
28182
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
NIHR allocated £151,511 for research concerning non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease research in 2023-24.
The total commitment across UKRI in 2023-24 for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease research was £3,647,138 for 4 awards (1 award from Innovate UK; 2 awards from MRC, 1 award from centrally managed UKRI schemes).
28183
Alcoholic fatty liver disease
UKRI did not commit any funding for alcoholic fatty liver disease research in 2023-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce alcohol related cancers.
30 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Tabled | House of Commons | 63912
Tabled by: Arthur, Dr Scott | Department: Department of Health and Social Care
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol-related cancer incidence.
24 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Tabled | House of Lords | HL8782
Tabled by: Lord Krebs | Department: Department of Health and Social Care
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of public awareness levels of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.
24 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Tabled | House of Lords | HL8780
Tabled by: Lord Krebs | Department: Department of Health and Social Care
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the national cancer plan for England will address alcohol consumption as a modifiable risk factor for cancer.
24 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Tabled | House of Lords | HL8779
Tabled by: Lord Krebs | Department: Department of Health and Social Care
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to consult on the potential merits of introducing mandatory standards for the labelling of alcohol products to include information on the risk of (a) drinking during pregnancy, (b) liver disease and (c) cancer.
04 Jun 2025 | Written questions | Tabled | House of Commons | 57260
Tabled by: Smith, Cat | Department: Department of Health and Social Care
My Lords, the Cancer Research UK website clearly says:
“Drinking less alcohol can prevent”
at least seven types of cancer. ... Will the Government seriously consider a minimum unit price for alcohol to further reduce cancers across the board, particularly throat and bowel cancers?
10 Feb 2025 | Proceeding contributions | House of Lords | 843 cc1001-3
Member: Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)
We absolutely have to shift the dial, whether it is on alcohol harms, smoking, obesity, inactivity or the air we breathe. These are the five-point plan priorities when it comes to prevention. ... Friend is so right to focus on this, and we hope to cut the instances of a whole range of preventable illnesses, including cancer.
04 Feb 2025 | Proceeding contributions | House of Commons | 761 c689
Member: Andrew Gwynne
Asked by: Sir John Hayes | 22 July 2024 | PQ 874
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with NHS England to help improve testing facilities for suspected liver disease in (a) rural and (b) deprived areas.
Answered by: Andrew Gwynne | Department: Department of Health and Social Care | 8 August 2024
Early detection of liver disease, including in rural and deprived areas, is vital to enable interventions and encourage behavioural change that can potentially lead to recovery. Liver disease is also one of the primary risk factors for liver cancer.
NHS England is ensuring that National Health Service laboratories across the country receive the upgrades to laboratory digital capabilities required to offer Intelligent Liver Function Tests, which are effective at quickly identifying patients at high risk of liver disease and cirrhosis. We will work with the NHS to further support investment into pathology laboratories and the development of national early diagnosis pathways.
The Community Liver Health Check programme is delivering Fibroscans and lifestyle advice in the community, from mobile units across many local areas, to identify people at high risk of liver cancer, targeting drug and alcohol service users, homeless people, and people with type 2 diabetes, among others. As of the end of June 2024, the programme has delivered over 61,000 Fibroscans and referred over 4,500 people into liver ultrasound surveillance every six months.
The primary care case finding programme, which uses primary care records to identify patients at high risk of cirrhosis and offer them blood tests and Fibroscans, began in 12 primary care networks in January 2024. As of the end of June 2024, the pilot had tested over 8,900 patients, and referred 142 into liver ultrasound surveillance every six months.
People from deprived backgrounds are more at risk of liver disease and liver cancer, and these programmes specifically target those with the highest risk, to identify the most in need patients first.