Alcohol & Tobacco Fuel India's Mouth Cancer Crisis

A comprehensive study published recently indicates that a substantial majority of mouth cancer cases in India are attributed to the combined consumption of alcohol and smokeless tobacco. Over 60% of these instances are linked to frequent alcohol intake, with locally brewed drinks identified as particularly high-risk, especially when consumed alongside tobacco products such as gutkha. The research highlights that even minimal daily beer consumption is associated with an elevated risk of buccal mucosa cancer.

The findings suggest that alcohol alone accounts for nearly 11.5% of all mouth cancer cases in India, a figure that rises to 14% in certain states with high disease prevalence. The study's authors propose that ethanol might compromise the mouth's inner lining, making it more susceptible to carcinogens found in chewing tobacco. Potential toxins in unregulated, locally produced alcohol could further exacerbate this risk.

Mouth cancer is a prevalent malignancy in India, with tens of thousands of new cases and deaths annually. The study, which compared cancer patients with healthy individuals, concluded that there is no safe threshold for alcohol consumption concerning this disease. Public health interventions aimed at reducing both alcohol and tobacco usage are strongly recommended as a primary strategy for eliminating mouth cancer in the country.