The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over the dangerously low awareness of alcohol’s link to cancer across Europe. In a report published on Friday, the health agency pointed out that while alcohol causes 800,000 deaths each year in the region, very few members of the public are aware of its health dangers.
A poll by WHO’s Europe office showed that only 15% of the participants knew that alcohol consumption can lead to breast cancer and only 39% were familiar with its relationship with colon cancer.
“Despite cancer being the leading cause of alcohol-attributable deaths in the European Union (EU), public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains alarmingly low,” the WHO stated.
WHO is calling for prominent and visible health warnings on alcoholic drinks, as on tobacco products. Although the global health organization has long endorsed clearer labeling, this report represents one of its most forceful calls for regulatory action to date.
WHO says that if alcohol companies regulate their labels, warnings may be unclear or hard to notice. Instead, they suggest using clear text and images to better inform people.
Currently, only three of 27 EU nations have implemented such warning labels, WHO reported. This absence of regulation persists in the face of increasing international demands for more strict measures. In the early part of this year, the US Surgeon General also advocated warning labels on alcoholic drinks to identify cancer risks.
With some of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world being found in Europe, WHO’s new appeal points out the imperative for governments to act more actively to make consumers aware of clear and accurate health information.
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