Bamboozled by the booze

How much do you really know about alcohol? A new YouGov poll for the Department of Health suggests that many of us just don't know the full story.

According to the poll:

• 66% did not realise alcohol increases the risk of bowel cancer;
• 63% did not realise it increases the chance of pancreatitis;
• 59% did not realise it increases the risk of mouth, throat and neck cancer;
• 37% did not realise it reduces fertility; and
• 30% did not realise it increases the risk of high blood pressure

The risk increases the more you drink obviously. The survey also showed that older age groups are more likely to drink every day and men also drink more frequently than women - 61% of men drink at least weekly compared to 47% of women.

Change for Life have put together an ad which shows how the drink can mount up unexpectedly (below).

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