Alcohol is know to have it’s dangers; from developmental delays if exposed too young, to lowered inhibitions often leading to risky behaviors, the harms it can cause are no secret, and often seen as worth it for the relaxation a small drink can bring. However, as research and technology move forward, new findings often come to light. Included in this are the recent publications that show how drinking can be much more dangerous for woman than men. Examples include higher prevalence of liver disease, increased dependency issues, and the critical issue of growing rates of breast cancer among women who drink regularly compared to those who don’t.

Beyond the extensive problems themselves these issues can bring,  there is an additional pressing matter in that  often these risks aren’t as well known as others. Without having all of the facts of the dangers of the substance, it’s not completely possible to make an informed decision regarding alcohol.  There are a variety of tactics that can be enacted to educate the population, and seeing how crucial these concerns are, it’s time to implement some of these changes.  

In a 2018 analysis, effectiveness of mass media campaigns targeting alcohol were assessed. Looking at 24 campaigns all placed throughout different areas in developed countries, testing for effectiveness was evaluated by how well consumers recalled information and if any steps or actions were taken that could be directly related to the issue of drinking. The campaigns mainly focused on distribution through materials and media in the form of TV and radio adverts. However, many also utilized billboards, social media ads, and ads along transportation modes and routes.

The results of the analysis showed that while individuals were not necessarily changing their drinking behaviors or attitudes after being exposed to the campaigns, they were recalling the information provided even after substantial amounts of time had passed since being exposed. The graph, summarizes the most notable results of the campaigns after each had aired. Awareness, understanding and recollection were present after in almost each campaign. While none of the studies focused on spreading awareness for the link between alcohol and breast cancer, or any other adverse effects for women, they are effectively showing that these media blitz  advertisements can still work towards making the population aware of certain health issues they may be facing. 

Beyond traditional media efforts that public health organizations can take, there are newer modes that I believe could help spread the issue surrounding this link. Information hidden under the disguise of an internet quiz, listicle, or even a meme. For example, everyone is familiar with Buzzfeed completely pointless and sometimes sponsored quizzes. Mattel sponsored one entitled “Which Barbie doll are you” and the quiz went on to be viewed over 1 million times with almost 200,000 shares on Facebook.

While the idea may be unheard of, if a health related organization put out content in a way that seems maybe less threatening and more Gen z friendly, for example a sponsored quiz or listicle “Are your drinking habits healthy” with a short series of questions that could indicate a need for further research on the users part. It’s private, not intimidating, and exposure could reach a lot of younger women who are coming of drinking age. These sponsored ‘articles’ could be just a small stepping stone towards legitimate information and could provide additional websites or sources to visit for additional information.  It might seem odd and unprofessional in a way but if the goal is to increase awareness around the link between alcohol and breast cancer, and it is, then this is simply another method to increase public awareness for all women in all age ranges. 

Public health organizations and officials who are trying to educate on the dangers of drinking for women should implement some traditional informational techniques, such as media targeted campaigns, while attempting strategies to connect with younger populations. These campaigns need to be targeted, they need to address the issues plainly, and these to be present widespread in spaces where women will access. Through this education, women well at least have the chance to be better informed and hopefully make better decisions regarding long term health. While there is a separate issue of actually mobilizing these populations to change their behaviors around some of the risk factors of alcohol, first and foremost should be the issue of spreading accurate information. 

Six weeks ago, I had one of the worst days of my life. I had just gotten back from a fantastic anniversary trip with my husband the day before. My parents had been strangely insistent that I call them the day after we got back. It’s not unusual for me to call them after a trip to let them know we made it back safe and share some of the high points with them. But this time they seemed a lot more persistent than normal. When I did call on that pretty spring Sunday, my mom cut me off in the middle of me enthusiastically describing a park we had visited on our trip. “We have to tell you something,” She said, “I have breast cancer”, and just like that, every ounce of oxygen left my body. It took me weeks to start to begin to wrap my head around it. In those weeks, I did the one thing everyone tells you not to do. I looked my mom’s cancer up on the internet. I dug through articles, papers, statistics, and survival rates. Looking for an answer to the question we’ll likely never be able to answer, why my mom?

Imagine my shock one day in class to learn that after all my weeks of research, I came across something new. Alcohol has been linked to breast cancer. In all of my hours of research, I had read nothing suggesting that alcohol could be a risk factor for breast cancer. Now, my mother has never been much of a drinker not even in her younger, more explorative years, so it’s likely not the cause for my mom’s cancer. But I’ve always enjoyed a nice beer or 2 and, like millions of college-aged women, had enjoyed more than a few too many at one time or another. Maybe it’s because now that I have a history of breast cancer from not only my mother, but my paternal grandmother who had been diagnosed at just 37 years old and I have been forced to acknowledge my very real risk of developing breast cancer one day myself. But this hit me particularly hard.

An entire month every year is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. Famous athletes wear pink, millions of people march and run thousands of miles every year to raise money for breast cancer research. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. It’s estimated that over 200,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer just this year. Yet despite all the information about breast cancer awareness and prevention screening, in a recent survey in the UK only 20% of the 205 women undergoing cancer treatment who participated knew that alcohol was a risk factor for breast cancer. Things aren’t looking much better in another survey conducted in the US which found 70% of Americans also did not know that drinking alcohol was a risk factor for breast cancer.

This begs me to ask this question, if all the pink ribbons, charity walks, billboards, bus signs, and tv commercials aren’t teaching us about the risk alcohol poses to women, what else can we do? A valuable, and perhaps obvious, the first step could be to increase and improve education. A woman’s physician is her best weapon in this never-ending battle against cancer. They could provide women with more comprehensive education about the risks of breast cancer at their yearly checkups. Breast cancer screenings and visits for breast cancer symptoms also provide some of the most teachable moments. Women are likely more open to this information when the threat seems so near. It wouldn’t take much, just 5 minutes at the beginning of their visit highlighting the biggest risk-factor and prevention methods.

Starting education even earlier seems like the best way to prevent more cases of breast cancer. We all remember those horrifically uncomfortable sex education classes, even if we wished we didn’t. What if we started educating girls on the risk of drinking alcohol for breast cancer when they are the most likely to start experimenting with alcohol? Maybe they wouldn’t listen. Maybe they’d just roll their eyes and turn away. But maybe it would plant a seed. Maybe if they’re presented with the evidence often enough, they’ll think twice before having their next drink. Maybe a few with family histories of breast cancer like me would decide it wasn’t worth it. I’m not 14 or 21 anymore, and I can’t speak for everyone, but even a craft beer enthusiast like me is opting for water or tea a lot more than I used to,  before I knew.