New Study: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Linked to Breast Cancer

October 7, 2014

A new study from the University of Victoria has confirmed the statistical link between moderate alcohol consumption and breast cancer, with results showing that women consuming 2 drinks per day are 8.5% more likely to develop cancer than those who abstain. Women who drink 3 drinks or more per day are at a 37% risk increase. In 2011, more than 220,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S.; 40,931 died from the disease.

Despite a substantial body of research showing that regular alcohol consumption is related to several types of cancer, the alcohol industry has long used pinkwashing to use breast cancer awareness in its product promotion; funded spurious research to link alcohol to health benefits; and lobbied aggressively to influence the USDA dietary guidelines to include and encourage daily alcohol consumption.

Read our fact sheet on alcohol and cancer risk here.

October is Breast Cancer Industry Month. Read about the Think Before You Pink Campaign here.