Orange with 6Medias, published on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 4:25 p.m.
According to a study published by the National Cancer Institute, almost a third of cancers are linked to tobacco and alcohol consumption. But many French people continue to underestimate this relationship.
Nearly half of cancers can be prevented by adopting healthier practices.
But according to a study published on January 30 by the National Cancer Institute (INCa), many French people are still unaware of the links between the consumption of tobacco and alcohol and the development of cancer.
In its 2021 Cancer Barometer, a survey carried out every five years, INCa highlights in particular that smokers are more inclined to underestimate the onset of cancer than non-smokers. The latter are more than 80% to admit the link between tobacco and cancer. A reduced rate of 30% for smokers. 20% of them even believe that there is a risk of cancer beyond 20 cigarettes a day. The gap between perception and facts is significant. Indeed, with 19.5%, tobacco remains the main source of cancer in France.
More than 150,000 deaths per year
Behind tobacco, alcohol is in second place. However, many French people place pollution ahead of alcohol as a factor aggravating the risk of cancer. However, only 0.4% of cancers are caused by exposure to fine particles. In France, 28,000 cases of cancer out of 382,000 are linked to alcohol. 157,400 of them end in death. It is the leading cause of premature death in France.