The South Australian Government has been developing a new SA Cancer Plan with input from the community. They have used this information to understand what is currently happening in cancer care in South Australia, and to shape future strategies which have informed the draft SA Cancer Plan.
Alcohol is linked to cancer in at least seven sites in the body, and is responsible for more than 5,000 new cancer cases in Australia each year. The risk of alcohol-related cancers increases with the amount people drink. Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen – it damages the cells of the body and increases the risk of alcohol-caused cancer.
FARE responded to the Consultation Draft SA Cancer Plan 2024-2028, focussing on Priority 2: ‘Maximise cancer prevention and early detection’. FARE recommends that the SA Government implement the following to contribute to the prevention of cancer:
- Common sense controls limiting the availability and accessibility of alcohol, including regulating the rapid expansion of online sales and delivery, and preventing predatory marketing of alcohol.
- A comprehensive public awareness campaign on the harms from alcohol. This should include a focus on cancer prevention.
