Hi Dave

When Alex was diagnosed smoking and drinking was thought to be the cause of his oral cancer. My reading on the subject suggested that alcohol as a causative agent for oral cancer was confounded by the fact that so many people with oral cancer and who were "high risk drinkers"(more than 4 drinks per day) were also smokers.

One thing is very clear smoking AND drinking is a very bad thing and the drink will multiply your risk anywhere from 7-15 times of smoking alone. The issue of alcohol alone is controversial as some studies suggest that high alcohol intake (spirits and beer but not wine) increases the chances whilst others can find no link. My opinion, after reading studies that contradict each other, is that alcohol in moderation seems ok but either high level drinking or smoking and drinking is a no no.

Karen