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Cancer: Alcoholic Drinks

Asked by Jim ShannonDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 9 September 2025UIN 74097

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of excessive alcohol consumption on levels of prevalence of cancer.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The Department is aware of the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the prevalence of cancer and the preventable pressure it places on the National Health Service. In 2024, there were 103,000 hospital admissions due to alcohol-related cancers.

Alcohol has been identified as a causal factor in more than 200 medical conditions, including mouth, throat, stomach, liver, and breast cancers. The Government is committed to reversing the trend on alcohol-specific deaths and to shortening the amount of time people spend in ill-health due to alcohol-related harm.

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