Cheers to cutting back on booze

Smoking's link to cancer is well known and it's time the same connection was made with alcohol

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It's official: alcohol is carcinogenic. So why doesn't New Zealand follow other nations in doing more to reduce its harms?

Global health authorities have known for decades that alcohol increases the risk of cancer. This was reinforced by the World Cancer Research Fund warning earlier this year that women should drink no alcohol to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

New Zealand Ministry of Health guidelines for safe drinking are far higher than the six glasses a year that pose minimal risk for breast cancer. The guidelines say men should have no more than 15 standard drinks a week and women 10.

It is unfortunate the alcohol industry appears to have played a part in influencing the Ministry of Health guidelines and potentially other government policies on alcohol.

Other nations including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada have set lower safe-drinking guidelines in response to recent research on the links between alcohol and cancer. Canada has a safe limit of two drinks a week.