Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Nov;49(6):661-7.
doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agu064. Epub 2014 Oct 13.

Alcohol control efforts in comprehensive cancer control plans and alcohol use among adults in the USA

S Jane Henley  1 , Dafna Kanny  2 , Katherine B Roland  3 , Melissa Grossman  3 , Brandy Peaker  3 , Yong Liu  2 , Susan M Gapstur  4 , Mary C White  3 , Marcus Plescia  3
Affiliations

Alcohol control efforts in comprehensive cancer control plans and alcohol use among adults in the USA

S Jane Henley et al. Alcohol Alcohol. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Aims: To understand how US cancer control plans address alcohol use, an important but frequently overlooked cancer risk factor, and how many US adults are at risk.

Methods: We reviewed alcohol control efforts in 69 comprehensive cancer control plans in US states, tribes and jurisdictions. Using the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we assessed the prevalence of current alcohol use among US adults and the proportion of these drinkers who exceeded guidelines for moderate drinking.

Results: Most comprehensive cancer control plans acknowledged alcohol use as a cancer risk factor but fewer than half included a goal, objective or strategy to address alcohol use. More than half of US adults reported current alcohol use in 2011, and two of three drinkers exceeded moderate drinking guidelines at least once in the past month. Many states that did not address alcohol use in comprehensive cancer control plans also had a high proportion of adults at risk.

Conclusion: Alcohol use is a common cancer risk factor in the USA, but alcohol control strategies are not commonly included in comprehensive cancer control plans. Supporting the implementation of evidence-based strategies to prevent the excessive use of alcohol is one tool the cancer control community can use to reduce the risk of cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-adjusted prevalence of current alcohol use and proportion of current drinkers who exceeded 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for moderate drinking (≤1 drink a day among women or ≤2 drinks a day among men) among adults aged ≥21 years, by state, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2011. Map A depicts the prevalence of current alcohol use and Map B depicts the proportion of current drinkers who exceeded moderate drinking guidelines.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Content related to alcohol use in state comprehensive cancer control plans 2003–2020. Map depicts whether the state comprehensive cancer control plan addressed alcohol use as a cancer risk factor in at least one goal, objective or strategy; as background information only; or not at all.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Boffetta P, Hashibe M. Alcohol and cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2006;7:149–56. - PubMed
    1. Bouchery EE, Harwood HJ, Sacks JJ, et al. Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S., 2006. Am J Prev Med. 2011;41:516–24. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Methodologic changes in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2011 and potential effects on prevalence estimates. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012;61:410–3. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Alcohol-related Disease Impact (ARDI) Application. CDC; Atlanta, GA: 2013. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DACH_ARDI/Default.aspx (24 September 2014, date last accessed)
    1. Clarke C, Purdie D, Glaser S. Population attributable risk of breast cancer in white women associated with immediately modifiable risk factors. BMC Cancer. 2006;6:170. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types