Cancer Prevention Action Week: Let’s talk about alcohol and cancer
Cancer Prevention Action Week (CPAW) is taking place this month from 23–29 June and focuses on the link between alcohol and cancer.
As part of the campaign, World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has launched a petition calling for a national alcohol strategy including minimum unit pricing, mandatory health warning labels and marketing restrictions. Please sign and share the petition to help WCRF reach 5,000 signatures by the end of CPAW!
WCRF’s campaign toolkit also has assets for social media, guides for health professionals, and a briefing for Parliamentarians. They are also hosting a webinar on alcohol and cancer for those working in healthcare on Thursday 26 June.
To become a campaign supporter, please get in touch with Mélanie at m.purnode@wcrf.org.
Everything you need to know about minimum unit pricing
Want to learn more about minimum unit pricing? The Insititute of Alcohol Studies have published an explainer video to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the policy. It looks at:
- What it is and how it works
- Who it affects
- The evidence behind it – including robust evaluations from Scotland and Wales
- Lessons learned and how the policy could be implemented and improved in England
For a more detailed deep dive into MUP you can catch up on IAS’ webinar, which had fantastic presentations from Dr Abi Stevely and Professor John Holmes (Sheffied Addictions Research Group), Alison Douglas (Alcohol Focus Scotland), Andrew Misell (Alcohol Change UK) and Jake Shepherd (Social Market Foundation).
Recognising the signs and the risks of pre-natal alcohol exposure
The usual prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in the population is 3-4%, rising to 20-30% of children in care. In a new blog published by SHAAP, Dr Patricia D. Jackson highlights the risks of pre-natal alcohol exposure and describes some key signs of FASD in children and young adults.
As babies, they are often described as being difficult to settle, agitated, and with ongoing poor sleep patterns. As they grow up, these children can be vulnerable in education and social settings and find it hard to regulate their emotions. However, recognising FASD and early signs of disconnection from school can alter this trajectory.
Read the full blog from SHAAP to find out more.
How stigma affected my son’s addiction
In this blog, Irene McCusker recounts her son Graeme’s experiences of stigma when receiving care as he struggled with alcohol addiction since he first went to his GP for help in 2015.
Over the next few years, how Graeme was treated depended on which doctor or health practitioner saw him on which day. At times, he felt there was no point in going to see them. Read more from Irene about her son’s experiences, and the importance of language and attitudes.
Health trends in England
The Department of Health and Social Care have published the latest health trends in England, presenting information about the health of people in England and how this has changed over time.
This includes data on life expectancy, smoking prevalence, childhood obesity, and deaths from preventable cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
For alcohol, there are several new graphs demonstrating the jump in higher risk drinking since 2021, and spike in alcohol-related liver disease.
Events
Double jeopardy
Alcohol Change UK
17 June 2025, 10am–12.20pm
Optimising relapse prevention for patients with alcohol related cirrhosis: a national expert survey
SHAAP/SARN Alcohol Occasional
23 June 2025, 12.45pm–2pm