Only 28% of Danish adults are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer, according to new figures from the Danish Cancer Society.

According to Mette Lolk Hanak, Director of Prevention at the Danish Cancer Society, the low level of awareness about the link between alcohol and cancer is concerning. Photo: Danish Cancer Society.

Most people know that alcohol can cause a nasty hangover the next day. Many have also heard that years of alcohol misuse can cause serious liver damage. But the fact that alcohol can also cause cancer is new information to many people.

According to a new survey of 3,064 Danes aged 18 to 74, only 28% can spontaneously identify alcohol as something that increases the risk of cancer. In fact, alcohol increases the risk of at least seven different types of cancer, including bowel cancer and breast cancer.

“It is concerning that so few of us are aware of the cancer risk associated with alcohol, when the link with several forms of cancer is so clear. Of course, we should decide for ourselves how much alcohol we want to drink, but we should also know the risks,” says Mette Lolk Hanak, Director of Prevention at the Danish Cancer Society.

Even low levels of consumption increase the risk

The risk of cancer increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. However, the risk of cancer is already elevated even at low levels of alcohol consumption. For example, the risk of breast cancer increases at a consumption level of around one alcoholic drink per day, and there is no level of alcohol consumption that is completely risk-free.

“If you want to minimise your risk of alcohol-related cancer as much as possible, you should not drink alcohol at all. However, the risk of cancer is low if you stay within the Danish Health Authority’s recommendation of no more than 10 alcoholic drinks per week,” says Mette Lolk Hanak.

Need for more information

In the survey, seven out of ten respondents said there is a need for more information about the link between alcohol and cancer. Given the low level of awareness, the Danish Cancer Society believes it is important to provide the Danish public with more information on the issue.

“In weeks 36 and 37, a new campaign will communicate that alcohol increases the risk of cancer. It is not the easiest or most enjoyable message to put out in a culture where alcohol consumption plays such a significant role. That is why we have enlisted a number of well-known Danes to help deliver the message, each in their own way,” says Mette Lolk Hanak.

Find more from cancer.dk (Denmark, September 2026)