NORTH-East drinkers are more likely to be hospitalised with seven types of alcohol-related cancer than anywhere else in the country, experts say.

A report by Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, revealed that the region's admission rate for cancer associated with alcohol is 254 per 100,000 people - a rate 48 per cent higher than the national average.

And the figure is rising with 6,378 alcohol-related cancer admissions in the region in 2012/13, compared to 5,690 in 2006/07.

The report has been released by Balance as part of a campaign to encourage the Government to make health information mandatory on all alcohol products.

Colin Shevills, director of the campaign group, said: “These findings make for uncomfortable reading and further highlight the need for the hidden harms associated with drinking to be addressed.

“Alcohol is linked to more than 60 medical conditions including cancer. You don’t need to be a heavy drinker to be at risk, drinking a pint of beer or a glass of wine every day can increase the risk of seven types of cancer and the more a person drinks, the more they increase their risk.

“We are all entitled to know exactly what we’re putting into our bodies so we can fully assess the risks and make informed choices about how much we drink.”

Balance wants to raise awareness of the link between alcohol and seven types of cancer including mouth, pharyngeal (upper throat), oesophageal (food pipe), laryngeal (voice box), bowel, breast and liver.

The figures revealed a 41 per cent increase in alcohol-related breast cancer admissions between 2006/7 to 2012/13 in the 45-54 age group in the North-East, compared to a national increase of 26 per cent.

There was also a 41 per cent increase in alcohol-related larynx cancer admissions between 2006/07 to 2012/13 - compared to national rise of eight per cent.

Balance wants all alcohol products to include nutritional information such as calorie content as well as warnings about how alcohol affects a person’s health.

Under current EU legislation, food products and soft drinks are subject to labelling regulations which mean that information covering ingredients and nutritional value is mandatory. However, alcohol is exempt from these regulations.