This week is Alcohol Awareness Week, which is celebrated annually in the UK in mid-July. The aim of this week is to raise awareness about alcohol use and promote healthier drinking habits across the UK. The theme for 2026 is “Alcohol and Me”, encouraging individuals to reflect on how alcohol affects their health, wellbeing, relationships and daily life. 

Alcohol and cancer 

Many people are aware that alcohol can affect behaviour in the short term, but fewer understand the wider risks linked to alcohol use. Alcohol has been classified as a group 1 carcinogen since 1988, placing it in the same risk category as tobacco and asbestos. However, only around 10–20% of the public are aware that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast and colorectal cancer. 

At Pharmora, we have had the opportunity to support clinical research in cancers and understand both the challenges involved in developing new treatments and the importance of reducing preventable risk factors. Alcohol Awareness Week is therefore an important opportunity to highlight how everyday choices can influence long-term health. 

Alcohol and the brain 

Alcohol can also affect the brain in both the short and long term. In the short term, it acts on the central nervous system and disrupts the balance of chemical messengers in the brain. This can slow reaction times, reduce the ability to think clearly, and affect judgement, coordination, mood and memory. 

Long-term heavy drinking can cause more serious changes: 

• It can increase the risk of common forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia 
• It can also contribute to alcohol-related brain damage, sometimes linked to the toxic effects of alcohol and to low levels of vitamin B1, or thiamine 

Symptoms of alcohol-related brain damage can include: 

• Changes in personality or mood 
• Difficulty thinking or remembering 
• Problems controlling impulses 

Although these effects can be serious, improvement may be possible when people stop drinking and receive appropriate support. 

The UK Chief Medical Officers advise drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread over three or more days, to keep health risks low. Having drink-free days can also help reduce overall intake and support both physical and brain health. 

This is why this year’s theme, “Alcohol and Me”, is so important. It encourages people to reflect on their own relationship with alcohol, including how it may affect their risk of cancer, brain health, wellbeing, memory, mood and day-to-day decisions. 

If you would like to find out more about Alcohol Awareness Week 2026, and how you can reflect on this year’s theme “Alcohol and Me”, follow this link.

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