What’s in your bottle?

Do you have an alcoholic drink on a regular basis? The regional health department wants you to be aware of the risks associated with that.

The new What’s In Your Bottle? campaign will strive to inform residents about the cancer risks that can be associated with regular alcohol consumption.

“Many residents are unaware that regular alcohol consumption can increase their risk for cancer,” states Chris Arnott, a public health nurse with the health department, in a news release.

“What many people find surprising is that as little as one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men can increase a person’s risk of developing seven different types of cancer.” According to the Canadian Cancer Society, only one third of Ontario residents are aware that they can reduce their risk for cancer by reducing the amount of alcohol they drink.

According to the region’s news release, there are seven types of cancer associated with alcohol consumption: mouth, neck, throat, liver, female breast, colon and rectum. And the risks are the same no matter what you drink – it does not matter if you regularly drink beer, wine or liquor.

“For many Canadians, drinking alcohol is a socially accepted and expected part of everyday activities with alcohol served in a variety of settings and at many events; however, many people remain unaware of the cancer risks that drinking alcohol poses. The health department is working to get this message out to the public, to help people make informed choices about their health,” Arnott states.

For more information, please call the Durham Health Connection Line at 1-800-841-2729, or visit durham.ca/alcohol.