Many Dutch people are unaware that alcohol is an important cause of cancer, concludes the Trimbos Institute in new research. Only 37 percent of the 6,000 people the institute had questioned about their knowledge of alcohol harm make that connection. Not even a third of the respondents know that drinking a glass of alcohol a day increases the risk of breast cancer.
According to the knowledge institute, there is still a lot to be gained by increasing knowledge in this area. “This could be done, for example, by requiring health warnings about alcohol and cancer (‘Alcohol increases the risk of colon cancer’) on labels of alcoholic beverages, as this can increase awareness and the intention to drink less alcohol, even in the case of excessive and heavy drinkers,” Trimbos said.
The study also shows that 52 percent of the respondents know that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of miscarriage, crying baby and learning and behavioral problems in the child. “More information about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is needed, especially for adults who want to have children or who are pregnant.” According to the institute, healthcare professionals can play an important role “in identifying and discussing alcohol use around pregnancy, whereby they can use the zero standard of the Health Council as an aid”.
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