Latest Cancer Warning

[JohnD]

I've tried to find statistical information to see consumption per head of population over the years but can't.

I hold a personal licence and am told that alcohol consumption has increased a lot since I were young because (1) people have more disposable income (2) alcohol prices have risen slower than incomes (3) it is more socially acceptable (within their peer group) for young people and especially young women to get absolutely plastered

see for example http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/ta...tions-resources/resources/key-stats-and-facts

 

[joinerjohn]

JohnD, It was on Channel 5 news today. Some bint from some health authority was there saying that even one pint of beer or a small glass of wine , increased the risk of getting cancer. She most certainly didn't say "More than"
Personally, I think that using statistics, some mathematical genius could convince the government that there's some direct correlation between the amount of Sky dishes on people's houses and the incidence of bowel cancer. Probably something to do with the diet of never ending repeats they show.

 

[JohnD]

The source data that the news media have picked up is probably from the BMJ journal http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d1584

"Results
If we assume causality, among men and women, 10% (95% confidence interval 7 to 13%) and 3% (1 to 5%) of the incidence of total cancer was attributable to former and current alcohol consumption in the selected European countries. For selected cancers the figures were 44% (31 to 56%) and 25% (5 to 46%) for upper aerodigestive tract, 33% (11 to 54%) and 18% (−3 to 38%) for liver, 17% (10 to 25%) and 4% (−1 to 10%) for colorectal cancer for men and women, respectively, and 5.0% (2 to 8%) for female breast cancer. A substantial part of the alcohol attributable fraction in 2008 was associated with alcohol consumption higher than the recommended upper limit: 33 037 of 178 578 alcohol related cancer cases in men and 17 470 of 397 043 alcohol related cases in women"

note it says "A substantial part ... associated with alcohol consumption higher than the recommended upper limit"

No surprise surely that tipping a poison down your neck has significant effects on the health of the digestive tract and liver. Maybe like smoking,a little is bad for you, a lot is very bad for you.

 

[joinerjohn]

JohnD. I've just read the link to alcohol concern. Interestingly enough, they say that over 10 million adults drink more than the recommended daily limit (2 pints) and yet only 2.6 million, drink more than twice that same limit.
I personally wouldn't pay any attention to such an arbitrary limit of 2 pints , specially where anything more than 2 pints makes anyone a "Binge Drinker"
When you see on the TV and read in the papers about "Binge Drinking", It's usually accompanied by footage or photographs of (usually) young people absolutely legless. Perhaps if the BBC commissioned a program about "Binge Drinking" and featured people leaving their local pub when they have only had 3 or 4 pints, or the national press ran articles accompanied by photographs of locals leaving their pubs on an evening having consumed 3 or 4 pints, I could understand, but no. "Binge Drinking" as featured on tv and in the press, will forever be associated with drunken young men and women, either legless, throwing up, fighting, or lying unconscious in the gutter.

 

[Mickymoody]

spacecat, Is there any statistical evidence to say that people today actually drink more than they did years ago? I know we read in the tabloids almost every week about "Binge Drinking" being a major cause of city and town centre mayhem on Friday and Saturday nights, but remember, according to health warnings the term binge drinking applies if you have drank more than 2 pints in any one evening.
I suppose when I play darts on a Tuesday night the NHS have my card marked as a binge drinker, simply because I usually have 3 or 4 pints?
The brewing industry is forever complaining about pubs and clubs closing due to lack of customers. So just how are we supposed to be drinking more than people did, say 30 yrs ago? I've tried to find statistical information to see consumption per head of population over the years but can't.

Part of my job involves working with a Primary Health Care Trust they inform us that the levels of alcohol related illnesses and Alcoholism have rocketed in recent years particularly amongst younger people

Also people drink at home now and can buy booze very cheap from any supermarket

The choice of drink throughout ages is beer, as it's been boiled, and safer than 'tap water', which would kill you. So the statement you make is utterly false. In recent years maybe, but not historically, stats, damn stats!

Also alcohol levels in past times were far greater than they are now..so we drink **** poor alchohol, but thats BAD for us, where the people that bred you, drank far MORE alcohol, to stay ALIVE, and that's a BAD thing to you? So you say you prefer NOT to be alive, as opposed to being alive because your predecessors drunk beer, not water?? If they drunk water, you would not be alive today.

 

[nickso]

pick something you like and let it kill you.

all this talk of what is good and bad for you is utter nonsense. everything is bad for you unless you are a calorie counting nun with a sewn chuff. live your life the way you want to live it, be nice to others that are nice to you and enjoy the short period that your conciousness provides you.

the papers provide nothing but chewing gum for the eyes while you eat your high cholesterol lunch, treat them as a comic and all will be well.

 

[joinerjohn]

Through all of this though, I'm bu**ered if I'm going to be labelled a Binge Drinker, just because some teetotal, vegetarian, penpushing receptionist in some backwater health authority says that I am. Simply because when I go out twice a week, I drink more than 2 pints of beer. And then states that I'm at a greater risk of cancer than the chap sat next to me in the pub (who smokes 40 a day) but only drinks 2 half pints then bu**ers off home.

 

[spacecat]

Blimey you lot take everything so personally don't you

Mickey m. yeah people drank beer in the past because it was safer than water doesn't make beer safe to drink! It just means that the water was really bad!
People i those times didn't live very long and generally popped their clogs of some other ailment long before something longer term like cancer got them.

Joiner J your stereotype of the vegetarian pen pusher is hilarious, doctors nurses and health professionals drink like fishes.

All stats do is talk about increased likelihood of consequences. Where does it say its higher than smoking?

What you have to do is take into account added risk factors
What about those who drink and smoke
What about those who drink smoke eat crap never exercise and are obese

all these things add up to increase or decrease the likelihood based on your lifestyle

 

[Nige F]

The source data that the news media have picked up is probably from the BMJ journal http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d1584

[.

should that be the BJM journal

 

[JohnD]

I'm at a greater risk of cancer than the chap sat next to me in the pub (who smokes 40 a day)

nobody says that

 

[minuteman]

As soon as you a born you have the risk of getting cancer, the only way to avoid the risk is to not be born, or be dead. Life can give you cancer.

Now, when we listen to these things on the news, what do we do? we worry. By worrying about these things we forget to enjoy our selves. Just forget the warnings and do what you want. That's what I believe anyway.

 

[JohnD]

If you want to get cancer, there are some steps you can take to make it much more likely.

The most effective of these is smoking cigarettes.

 

[spacecat]

As John d says Smoking is the biggest single worse thing you can do if you want to get cancer or die early from some really crappy disease like emphysema.

I find it amazing today that so many young people still think its COOL to smoke and its across the social groups

Prince Harry what a t**T

have this society learn't nothing about health in the past 30 years?

A a nation we are getting fatter, less fit and unhealthy every year

fortunately for me i was horrified by those pictures of diseased lungs they used to show us at school in biology so i never ever wanted to smoke

 

[JohnD]

Just forget the warnings and do what you want.

what a tw@

 

[minuteman]

If you want to get cancer, there are some steps you can take to make it much more likely.

The most effective of these is smoking cigarettes.

At least my death will be caused by something I love