Alcohol
Excess alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, many cancers (including cancer of the breast, bowel and liver) and liver disease. Smoking and alcohol consumption combined account for three quarters of cancers of the mouth, pharynx and oesophagus.
Drinkers are drinking more: Sales of alcohol have seen a steady rise in recent years. Consumption patterns are shifting towards heavier drinking among sections of society, particularly the young. There has been a trend for alcoholic drinks getting stronger, for pub and restaurant serving sizes to increase and for larger bottles and packs in supermarkets.
Alcohol has got cheaper: Deep discounting and heavy promotion of alcohol in the on- and the off-trade has made drinking more affordable.
Alcohol is heavily promoted across all media: Alcohol brands are increasingly promoted across social networks popular with children and young people such as Facebook and Twitter and video sharing sites such as YouTube.
