Overview
- Published in BMJ Global Health, the multicentre case–control study compared 1,803 buccal mucosa cancer patients with 1,903 controls from five Indian centres spanning 2010–2021.
- Any alcohol use carried a 68% higher risk versus non-drinkers, rising to 72% for international brands and 87% for unregulated locally brewed liquors.
- Just 9 grams of alcohol per day—about one standard drink—was linked to an approximately 50% increase in buccal mucosa cancer risk, with authors concluding there is no safe limit.
- Concurrent alcohol consumption and chewing tobacco were associated with a more than fourfold increase in risk, and researchers estimate this combination accounts for roughly 62% of cases nationally.
- Alcohol alone was estimated to account for about 11–11.5% of cases across India, with higher fractions reported in states such as Meghalaya, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, prompting calls to regulate local brews and strengthen alcohol–tobacco control.