Will the advice on alcohol consumption on Health Hub be updated to align with that from the World Health Organisation (WHO)? Health Hub’s advice is to “set limits to the amount of alcohol you drink”. However, WHO published a statement in The Lancet Public Health on Jan 4, 2023: “When it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.”

Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive and dependence-producing substance classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago. According to WHO, the latest available data indicates that half of alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European region are caused by “light” and “moderate” alcohol consumption.

The new WHO statement also clarifies that currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol “switch on” and start to manifest in the human body.

Drinking has been widely associated with celebratory events. However, the new information might be crucial for those who have a higher risk of certain types of cancer, be it due to genes, diet or lifestyle.

Experts here recently advised that women found to have the mutated genes should go for cancer screening every year. Perhaps avoiding alcohol altogether might be more advisable for such patients. 

The new information on alcohol consumption would also align with the Healthier SG initiative encouraging Singaporeans to take on a proactive role to lead healthier lifestyles.

Candice Yeo Chay Hoon