Awareness of Alcohol as a Risk Factor for Breast Cancer

PI: Priscilla Martinez, Public Health Institute

Many young women in California don’t realize that drinking alcohol increases their risk of breast cancer. To change that, researchers developed a public awareness campaign called Drink Less for Your Breasts. They started by reviewing research on alcohol use, breast cancer risk, and past health campaigns. Then, they held focus groups with young women to see how they felt about the risk and tested draft messaging. Based on feedback, they refined their messages with help from an advisory group. Finally, they launched a website, ran a social media campaign, and even held a webinar — all of which got national and international media attention, including in WIRED magazine. Now, they’re expanding the project to study how healthcare providers discuss alcohol and breast cancer risk with patients, with plans to develop new interventions to improve awareness in diverse medical settings.

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