Balance has launched the next phase of its impactful “Alcohol is Toxic” campaign, underscoring alcohol’s role as a Group One carcinogen that contributes to at least seven types of cancer, including bowel, breast, mouth, and throat cancers. The campaign, which features an award-winning TV advert developed with input from Cancer Research UK, vividly illustrates how alcohol mutates cells and fosters tumor growth. Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Fresh and Balance, emphasized the importance of such campaigns, stating, “People are being failed by the total lack of this information on alcohol products – but they do want to know the facts.” With 82% of North East adults viewing alcohol as a significant problem regionally and nationally, the campaign aligns with increasing public demand for transparency about the health risks associated with alcohol.

The initiative is part of a broader effort tied to Balance’s “Blueprint for Reducing Alcohol Harm,” which calls for urgent national action to address alcohol’s pervasive impact on health, crime, and the economy. The blueprint, supported by the Alcohol Health Alliance and other key organizations, reveals stark statistics about alcohol-related harm: over 980,000 hospital admissions annually in England, including cases of cancer and liver disease. Dr. James Crosbie, Clinical Lead for Alcohol in the North East, stressed that “even one drink a day increases your risk,” highlighting that the best way to mitigate harm is by reducing both the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption.

The campaign also features personal stories, such as that of Evie Jay, who shared how quitting alcohol significantly improved her mental health and relationships. “Cutting it out for good has been good for all of us,” she said. Experts like Alice Wiseman, Vice President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, have underscored the need for stronger national measures, criticizing the alcohol industry’s role in promoting risky consumption. For too long the harms of alcohol have been soaring – but a lack of national action has given a free pass for the alcohol industry to glamourise alcohol, keep people drinking at risky levels and surround us and our children with alcohol promotion,” Wiseman remarked. Balance’s campaign aims not only to inform but also to inspire individuals and policymakers to act against the devastating toll of alcohol-related harm.

Read more from Balance (UK, November 2024) and visit https://reducemyrisk.tv/

1/ The next phase of our powerful Alcohol is Toxic campaign launches today, supported by @CRUK_Policy. Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen which causes 7 types of cancer – including bowel and breast cancer.
Watch our @RTS_media award-winning advert🔽#AlcoholisToxic pic.twitter.com/OAD31GjJOI

— Balance North East (@BalanceNE) November 18, 2024

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