The World Cancer Research Fund* has a new report, their third. This is what they say about cancer and alcohol:

The Panel judges that alcoholic drinks are a cause of various cancers, irrespective of the type of alcoholic drink consumed. This is because all alcohol contains ethanol and ethanol is the cancer causing compound.

The evidence shows that alcoholic drinks of all types have a similar impact on cancer risk. This Recommendation therefore covers all types of alcoholic drinks, whether beers, wines, spirits (liquors) or any other drinks, as well as other alcohol sources.

The important factor is the amount of alcohol (ethanol) consumed. Even small amounts of alcoholic drinks can increase the risk of several cancers. There is no threshold of alcohol consumption below which cancer risk does not increase.

Their recommendation? Don’t drink:

The US National Institutes of Health’s job is to say that. They are never, ever going to say that. Not while the alcohol industry holds so much sway over them. They say that alcohol is safe “in moderation,” which it’s not. This is why we have to go outside the US for this kind of info.

* The World Cancer Research Fund is a not-for-profit, international organization “that leads and unifies a network of cancer prevention charities with a global reach. These charities are based in the US, the UK, the Netherlands and Hong Kong.” They are “a leading authority on cancer prevention research related to diet, nutrition and physical activity.”