“Alcohol is a known carcinogen. Does the public think that the small increased risk is 'worth it'? It didn’t consider other cancer risk factors, such as age, diet or a family history of cancer. Breast cancer: Epidemiologic studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer with increasing alcohol intake. "While the health risks of smoking are well established and widely understood by the public, the situation is different with alcohol, especially as it relates to cancer. The authors emphasized that this finding was important because smoking is also an important cause of GI tract cancers but not breast cancer. Breast cancer is among the most common, and the most dangerous forms of cancer affecting women. Yet, other research has shown that drinking even a small amount of alcohol increases your chances. "Lead author Hydes also pointed out that although they went to great lengths to correct for the combined effect of both drinking and smoking, "this will still be an issue. "While these studies are often bought up by the alcohol industry -- overall their findings have now been discredited, often due to the fact that the teetotalers in these studies have abstained due to health reasons and therefore skewed the data. "Importantly, at low levels of drinking, the risk of cancer is low, Petticrew explained. They analyzed data from Cancer Research U.K. on the lifetime risk of cancer in the general population, as well as data on the number of cancers in the population that could be linked to tobacco and alcohol in particular. A The new report also wanted to be “absolutely clear that this study is not saying that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking,” as smoking kills up to two-thirds of its users, and is responsible for So don’t go pouring your wine down the drain just yet — just drink in moderation. This is the same risk from smoking about eight cigarettes per week for men and 23 cigarettes per week for women. “However, it is important for the public to note the carcinogenic effects of alcohol which are largely under estimated and publicized.” Dr. Theresa Hydes, the corresponding author, explained in a statement that, “We aimed to answer the question: Purely in terms of cancer risk — that is, looking at cancer in isolation from other harms — how many cigarettes are there in a bottle of wine? Photo: AM-C/Getty Images/iStockphoto Although many of us routinely indulge in a glass (or two or three) of wine at the end of the day, a new study suggests that our glass-a-day habit might not be healthy: Having a glass of wine (or another alcoholic drink) each day has been found to increase a person’s breast cancer … "For that reason, it is an unusual and important paper. ""Public health professionals and possibly the public have often speculated about alcohol risks compared to smoking, and this excellent, clear paper provides this information," said Mark Petticrew, PhD, professor of public health evaluation in the faculty of Public Health and Policy at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England. A glass of wine a day is linked to increased breast cancer risk. Association is not causation ... On the other hand, we know for sure that smoking actually causes lung and other serious cancers. "In terms of communicating this information with the public, the study does raise other questions. "The study is a disservice to health-conscious people, suggested Etzioni. Another study, however, says that any alcohol, wine included, raises the risk of breast cancer, even if consumed moderately. "It is important to know how the public would respond to messaging, which describes alcohol risk in terms of cigarettes smoked," he said. "The paper starts by saying 'we must first be absolutely clear that this study is not saying that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking,' " says Petticrew.