Alcohol and mouth cancer

Pint of beerDrinking alcohol is the second most important cause of mouth cancer after tobacco. 75-80% of mouth cancer patients say they frequently drink alcohol.

People who smoke and drink alcohol have the highest risk of mouth cancer. If you don’t use tobacco, then how much you drink is the most important risk factor for mouth cancer.

In the UK we’re drinking at dangerous levels

Drinking three or more units of alcohol per day increases your risk of mouth cancer. When you drink more than this, every additional drink increases your risk even further.

In the UK we’re drinking more and more alcohol. We now drink more than twice as much as we drank 50 years ago. And at least 20% of women and 35% of men are drinking more than the government recommends.

Our guidelines for sensible drinking

The more you cut down on alcohol, the more you reduce your cancer risk.

There is limited risk if you only drink a little - such as one small drink a day for women or two small drinks a day for men - but the risk increases the more you drink.

Many alcoholic drinks contain more alcohol than you might think.

  • A pint of premium lager, beer or cider (5% vol) contains three units
  • A standard 175ml glass of wine (11-12% vol) contains two units
  • A double shot of spirits (40% vol) using the 35ml measure contains three units.

Reducing the amount you drink

One way to find out how much you really drink is to keep an alcohol diary for a few weeks.

To help you do this, Cancer Research UK has developed a new online tool called ‘Track your Drinking’ . You need a Google account to use the tool. Signing up for a Google account is free and you don’t have to have a Google email address. Download ‘Track your Drinking’ now.

You can find tips for cutting down on alcohol in our healthy living section.

There are also many organisations that offer advice on drinking. For more help and advice:

  • Call Drinkline on 0800 917 82 82 - freephone, 24 hours a day
  • Visit www.downyourdrink.org.uk to check whether you need to cut down and follow an online programme to reduce your alcohol intake.