It took 16 years to get labels on bottles warning of the danger of drinking while pregnant. Australians can't afford for it to take that long for cancer warnings, say UNSW researchers.
By now, most of us are familiar with the grim images and bold warnings displayed on cigarette packets. They are stark, unavoidable, and – crucially – effective, opens in a new window. Yet, when it comes to alcohol, a substance that the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the labels remain curiously silent on one of its most serious risks: cancer.
Dr Claire Wilkinson and Dr Sarah Clifford of UNSW's Drug Policy Modelling Program say that the evidence is clear – drinking alcohol causes cancer, not enough Australians understand the risk, opens in a new window and it's time to do more to protect public health.
"We have strong evidence that alcohol is directly linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast, liver, colon, and oesophageal cancer, and it's unlikely the alcohol industry will advertise these links unless mandated to," says Dr Wilkinson.
"It's a consumer right to be informed of the potential risks of using a product. Labelling alcohol with health warnings, including its link to cancer, is part of allowing customers to make informed decisions about the product," she says.
There is an increased impetus worldwide to improve warning labels on alcohol. This year both the World Health Organisation, opens in a new window (WHO) and the US Surgeon General, opens in a new window called for alcoholic beverages to carry cancer warnings, just like tobacco products.
Alcohol and cancer in Australia
Almost 70% of Australian adults drink alcohol. The Cancer Council says alcohol is responsible for around 5800 new cancer cases in Australia each year – about 4% of all new diagnoses, opens in a new window. Alcohol use contributes to 39% of the health burden of liver cancer and 11% of the burden of breast cancer.
"Even moderate amounts of alcohol increase cancer risk, and there is no 'safe' level of consumption," says Dr Wilkinson.
"Ironically, many cancer fundraising events in Australia are sponsored by alcohol brands, opens in a new window, highlighting a disconnect between public health messaging and commercial interests," she says.
A case for clearer labelling
Dr Wilkinson is a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group for alcohol labelling, opens in a new window, a 15-member body tasked with advising WHO/Europe on scientific and technical issues related to strategies, activities, and research related to alcohol labelling.
Its February 2025 report 'Alcohol health warning labels: a public health perspective', opens in a new window, outlines how cancer-specific warnings effectively improve awareness of alcohol-related risks and encourage individuals to reconsider their consumption habits.
Dr Clifford emphasises that on-label information is crucial for ensuring the message reaches consumers.
"While education about alcohol harms can take place in a variety of contexts there is a focus on labels specifically because people who consume the most, and are therefore at highest risk, will receive the highest 'dose' of the exposure to the labels."
Research on alcohol warning labels in Canada, opens in a new window provided strong evidence that they can increase consumer awareness of health risks and influence drinking behaviour. Labels highlighting the link between alcohol and cancer, and those including standard drink information, were found to be particularly effective.
Additionally, these studies demonstrated that enhanced labels, including those with cancer warnings, led to decreased alcohol sales. The labels were pulled after industry lobbying.
"The kinds of labels tested were much more similar to the warning labels on tobacco than the current pregnancy warning seen on alcohol in Australia, which is small, appears on the side or back of the container and is no match for the carefully created labels on the front of the bottle," says Dr Clifford.
"There has been really good success around cancer warning labels on tobacco," she says. "And we know that short, snappy, personally relevant message and the use of images works well."
Public health leadership in cancer warnings
While the WHO's Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health has repeatedly emphasized the need for mandatory health warnings, noting that such measures are among the most cost-effective ways to reduce alcohol-related harm, opens in a new window, as of 2019 only 55 countries (40% of the 139 surveyed) had implemented any form of health warning on alcohol beverage packaging – and only 8% of these related to cancer.
In a world-first move, Ireland has passed legislation requiring all alcoholic beverages sold in the country to carry labels warning of the cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption. From 2026, every bottle of beer, wine, and spirits will be legally required to state that "drinking alcohol causes cancer, opens in a new window". This bold step has drawn praise from public health advocates and ire from industry groups and sets a precedent for other nations.
"Australia has a history of being a world leader in public health interventions. It was the first country to introduce plain packaging for cigarette packets in the face of strong resistance from the tobacco industry. I would encourage our policy makers to continue to be on the forefront of pushing for the best public health outcomes," says Dr Wilkinson.
