United States: Americans aren’t quite aware that they’re essentially putting themselves at risk for cancer with each beer, cocktail, or drink of whiskey.
The Hidden Risk in Every Drink
This general lack of knowledge is the main finding of a recent nationwide poll, despite public health warnings about the connections between drinking and cancer risk, as reported by HealthDay.
“Public health messages about the risks associated with drinking alcohol have to overcome the effects of decades of sophisticated marketing and positive media portrayals,” said Patrick Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which conducted the poll.
Alcohol Consumption in the U.S.
Over half of adults in the U.S. consume alcohol — 17% report binge drinking and 6% are heavy drinkers, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heavy drinking means drinking four units or more in two consecutive hours for females and five units or more for males.
According to the CDC, people can “reduce your chances of getting cancer by consuming less alcohol or no alcohol at all.”
Well, that message has clearly never gotten through to most Americans.
Survey Reveals Widespread Misinformation
About sixty percent of those polled knew not that moderate use of alcohol enhances the risk of getting cancer, according to the survey.
Four in 10 could not be sure that statement was true for them, while 2 in 10 were even more off track – responding either that drinking would have no impact on cancer risk or would reduce it, according to the survey, as reported by HealthDay.
Of the 200 adults who said that they have been infected with covid, respondents came from a panel of 1,744 questioned in September.