Why Millie Mack backs putting cancer warnings on alcohol
Millie Mackintosh had her last drink in August 2022. Though she initially cut out booze because of how it impacted her behaviour and mental health, she's since educated herself on the wider issues with drinking.
'I made the decision for my own happiness, my family. Then, the more I understood about what alcohol does to your health, the more I realised how careless I was being with my own health. Then I never wanted to go back to it,' she tells Women's Health.
Earlier this month, the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for alcohol to carry cancer warnings similar to cigarettes. Mackintosh now agrees: 'I think we're all so aware of the risks of smoking, but alcohol use is linked to seven different types of cancer as well as multiple different diseases in the body and I just don't think people are aware of that as they should be,' she says.
'They need to put warnings on the bottles like they do on cigarette packets, I think, so that people are actually more aware.'
The cancers linked to alcohol intake include breast, mouth and bowel cancer. Even one or two units of alcohol a day is linked with a higher risk of cancer, says Cancer Research.
According to the World Health Organisation, nearly 4% of cancers diagnosed worldwide in 2020 can be attributed to alcohol consumption. Oxford University also says that alcohol is linked to three million deaths a year.
'The other crazy thing to me is that alcohol is one of the most addictive drugs in the world, but if you don't drink it, or you drink it and get addicted or developed into some kind of drinking problem, it's seen as taboo,' adds Mackintosh.
She uses her platform to support other people to make better decisions about alcohol for their health. 'I want to keep sharing in an honest way because I love having the connection with people and hearing from them about how what I'm saying helps them,' she says.
Read the full interview here.
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
