ALMOST a million people in the North-East face an increased cancer risk by drinking too much.

Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the link between alcohol and seven cancers which strike the mouth, upper throat, food pipe, voice box, bowel, breast and liver.

It says almost two in five adults in the region - around 813,000 people - are regularly drinking more than the Government's recommended daily limits of two to three units for a woman (no more than a standard glass of wine) or three to four units for a man (a pint of strong lager).

However, Balance says that nine in ten people who regularly drink above the recommended limits believe they are light or moderate drinkers.

Colin Shevills, Director of Balance, said: “It’s important for people to realise that it’s not just heavy drinkers at risk, there is no safe level of alcohol and the more a person drinks, the greater the risk.

“Low alcohol pricing, widespread availability and mass promotion has suggested alcohol is harmless. But it’s not.”

The campaign saw a new hard-hitting advert aired on television from today (Monday, June 22) which will run for the next four weeks.

Mr Shevills added: “It is easy for us to underestimate how much we drink, but by raising awareness of the hidden harms associated with alcohol, we hope to encourage people to think about their intake and, if necessary, cut back to help reduce their risk of cancer."

The campaign is backed by Dr Tony Branson, medical director of the Northern England Cancer Network, who said: "Alcohol affects our bodies in a number of different ways which can increase a person's risk of developing cancer.

"It damages cells, changes hormone levels, impacts on existing medical conditions and worsens the damage caused by smoking."