Alcohol and the ‘Spread’ campaign FAQs

The ‘Spread’ campaign conveys the message that alcohol causes cancer, including in the breast, liver, mouth, throat, stomach and bowel; and every drink increases a person’s risk of developing alcohol-caused cancer. It depicts a glass of red wine falling over and spreading to illustrate the parts of the body where cancer occurs.

The campaign was developed by the Western Australian Mental Health Commission in 2010 and revised in 2020. It has received international recognition. When tested and evaluated alongside 52 other international alcohol harm reduction campaigns, ‘Spread’ has been found to be the ad most likely to motivate drinkers to reduce their alcohol use. Cancer Council NSW ran a successful social media campaign using ‘Spread’ in 2022.

Cancer Council NSW surveyed the community in 2022 and found that only just over half of the people we asked knew that alcohol use was linked to cancer. Cancer Council has a responsibility to inform the community about what we know about the causes of cancer and ways we can all reduce our risk.

Evidence shows that making people aware of the cancer risks associated with alcohol use is enough to influence their attitudes towards drinking. The ‘Spread’ campaign has been effective in raising awareness of the link between alcohol use and cancer risk in Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

Research from The Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney has shown that for every additional 7 drinks per week someone has, their relative risk of death from alcohol-related cancers rises by 12%. The study of 181,607 participants in the NSW 45 and Up study showed that the number of deaths caused by alcohol use in Australia overall is substantial.

Our latest estimates show that over 4% of cancer cases (5,800 cases) were caused by alcohol in Australia in 2020. This means that approximately 16 Australians develop cancer due to alcohol use each day.

Alcohol increases the risk of developing cancers in the mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach, bowel, liver and breast. When it comes to cancer risk, there’s no safe level of alcohol use. All levels of drinking increase risk.

In 2021, an estimated 3.4% of all cancer deaths were caused by alcohol.

There are several ways alcohol can cause cancer:

• Alcoholic drinks contain ethanol, which irritates cells in the body, particularly the mouth, throat and digestive system. Over a long period, even drinking within the guidelines, this cell irritation can lead to cancer.
• When alcohol is digested it breaks down into compounds such as acetaldehyde that damage cells and can cause cancer.
• Alcohol changes hormone levels, particularly oestrogen, and that is linked to breast cancer.
• Drinking alcohol can damage the lining of the mouth and throat, acting as a solvent and making it easier for cells to absorb other carcinogens. For example, when alcohol and tobacco are used together, alcohol increases the absorption of carcinogens from tobacco, leading to a higher risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, and oesophagus.
• Alcohol can reduce folate absorption, which can result in changes in the cell, that makes it more likely for cancer to develop.
• Alcoholic drinks represent ’empty kilojoules’ – that is, they are high in energy (kilojoules) but low in nutritional value, especially when added to sugary mixer drinks. If you drink alcohol in addition to your normal dietary intake without reducing the kilojoules you eat, you may gain weight, increasing your risk of 13 types of cancer.

The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of alcohol-related cancers. Cancer Council recommends people drink less alcohol to reduce their risk of cancer. Those who do not drink should not take up drinking alcohol.

For people who do drink alcohol, they should follow the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. Healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.

Curious to see how your drinking stacks up? Visit, cancercouncil.com.au/drink-less

If you’re looking for more support, the NSW Government also offers friendly health coaches you can speak to over the phone (confidentially), from the comfort of your own home from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday. If you want to cut back on your alcohol intake a coach can help you make a plan and set achievable goals. They will share practical tools to change your habits and to overcome hurdles that stand in your way. Find out more at the Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service.

Here are a few ways you can reduce your alcohol use:

• • Have some alcohol-free days each week

• • Count your drinks to keep track of how much you’re drinking

• • Drink water to quench thirst

• • Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or flavoured sparkling water

• • Set yourself a limit and stop once you’ve reached it

• • Switch to lower alcohol varieties or dilute alcoholic drinks with soda or mineral water.

For more information visit: Tips for drinking less