Muslim World Report

Alcohol and Cannabis: Emerging Risks in Public Health Discourse

Dr. Anthony Lindsay | Jun 21, 2025 9:39 AM | 6 min read | 1276 words

TL;DR: Recent research reveals significant health risks associated with alcohol and cannabis use. Alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, while cannabis use is associated with heightened chances of cardiovascular events. This necessitates a shift in public health messaging to effectively communicate these risks and encourage healthier lifestyle choices.

Understanding Health Narratives: Implications of Alcohol and Cannabis Research

The recent surge in studies linking alcohol consumption and cannabis use to serious health risks has rekindled crucial discussions about lifestyle choices and public health narratives. Notably, two significant studies have emerged:

  • Alcohol and Pancreatic Cancer: A positive association between alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer risk (Genkinger et al., 2009).
  • Cannabis and Cardiovascular Issues: An increase in heart attack and stroke risks among young adults who use cannabis (Jouanjus et al., 2014).

These findings are pivotal for shaping public health policies and challenge broader societal attitudes toward drugs and health risk management.

Alcohol Consumption and Pancreatic Cancer

A comprehensive study examined over 2.4 million participants across five continents from 1980 to 2013. It revealed the following key points regarding alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer:

  • Consuming 30 grams or more of alcohol per day is correlated with heightened pancreatic cancer risk.
  • The risk is particularly significant among women (Tramacere et al., 2009).
  • Pancreatic cancer is often called a silent killer due to its late diagnosis.

Implications for Public Health

The increasing incidences of pancreatic cancer could strain healthcare systems worldwide, especially in regions where access to cancer screening and treatment is limited (Huang et al., 2019).

Despite expert panels deeming the direct association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer as inconclusive, the pooled analysis indicates that:

  • A 10-gram increment in alcohol intake is associated with a 3% increase in pancreatic cancer risk overall (Jiao et al., 2009).
  • This suggests that even moderate drinking could have significant public health implications, especially in populations where alcohol consumption is normalized.

Cardiovascular Risks of Cannabis Use

The cardiovascular risks associated with cannabis use are rapidly gaining attention. Recent data indicates:

  • A 29% higher risk of heart attacks.
  • A 20% increase in the likelihood of strokes among cannabis users (Jouanjus et al., 2014).

Contextual Understanding of Risks

While these figures warrant careful consideration, they require nuanced understanding:

  • The absolute risk increase translates to a mere 0.15% among cannabis users if the baseline risk of developing a heart condition in the general population is around 0.5%.
  • The increase in risk can easily be lost in sensationalized headlines, leading to misunderstandings about the true implications of these findings.

Implications of Rising Alcohol Consumption

What If Alcohol Consumption Remains Unchecked?

If alcohol consumption continues to rise unchecked, the global healthcare landscape could be adversely impacted through:

  • An alarming increase in pancreatic cancer cases.
  • Strain on healthcare systems, particularly in low-resource countries where preventive healthcare services are limited (Rawla et al., 2019).

Governments may face mounting pressure to tighten alcohol regulations, leading to potential backlash from an industry that historically exerts substantial influence over public health perceptions and policies (Sleep et al., 2019).

Challenges in Public Health Messaging

Public health messaging must effectively communicate the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, yet such communication encounters challenges:

  • People may interpret health warnings as moral judgments rather than factual assessments.
  • Misunderstandings could exacerbate the cyclical nature of public health messaging, oscillating between prohibitionist policies and leniency—both yielding mixed outcomes (Michaud et al., 2001).

Unchecked alcohol consumption could deepen health disparities, particularly in vulnerable populations lacking access to health education (Saab et al., 2020).

Expanding Cannabis Use and Its Consequences

What If Cannabis Use Grows Among Young Adults?

Should cannabis use among young adults increase, public health systems could confront a dual crisis characterized by:

  • Elevated rates of heart attacks and strokes.
  • Normalization of cannabis consumption.

The perception of invincibility among young adults may lead to the widespread underestimation of health risks, resulting in serious cardiovascular conditions emerging earlier in life (Singh et al., 2021).

Public health campaigns must be robust and comprehensive, aiming to:

  • Raise awareness about cannabis-related risks.
  • Promote informed decision-making among young adults.

Educational initiatives should balance respect for individual rights with societal responsibilities to provide accurate information about potential health consequences (Lobstein et al., 2004).

The Role of Public Health Messaging

As societies grapple with these health narratives, particularly in the context of liberalizing cannabis laws, public health messaging must be:

  • Clear, assertive, and evidence-based.

Policymakers in countries contemplating cannabis legalization must consider potential public health risks, especially for young adults who may dismiss these risks.

Strategic Maneuvers: Policy and Public Health Responses

To effectively address these issues, stakeholders—including governments, health organizations, and community groups—should engage in strategic maneuvers encompassing:

  1. Evidence-Based Messaging: Prioritize clear public health messaging delineating the risks of excessive alcohol consumption and cannabis use. This should be rooted in comprehensive research and accessible platforms for vulnerable populations (Haines et al., 2004).

  2. Regulatory Measures: Consider revising age restrictions, imposing higher taxes, and developing responsible drinking initiatives for alcohol. For cannabis, regulations governing marketing practices can prioritize community well-being over corporate interests (Hall, 2014).

  3. Healthcare System Preparedness: Enhance access to preventive screenings and treatment options, especially in historically underserved communities. Advocate for integrated approaches that encompass both mental health and substance use treatment (Vivion et al., 2020).

Conclusion

The intricate interplay between lifestyle choices and health outcomes necessitates a committed approach that honors the complexities of individual behaviors while centering public health on a global scale (Zhang et al., 2016). A discourse that intertwines scientific evidence with societal values will prove crucial in shaping effective health policies for the future.

References

  • Genkinger, J. M., Spiegelman, D., Anderson, K. E., et al. (2009). Alcohol Intake and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis of Fourteen Cohort Studies. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 18(3), 765-776.
  • Goyal, M., Awad, H. H., & Ghali, J. K. (2017). Role of cannabis in cardiovascular disorders. Journal of Thoracic Disease, 9(9), 2799-2804.
  • Hall, W. (2014). What has research over the past two decades revealed about the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use? Addiction, 109(1), 129-138.
  • Haines, A., Kuruvilla, S., & Borchert, M. (2004). Bridging the implementation gap between knowledge and action for health. Public Health, 108(5), 473–474.
  • Jiao, L., Silverman, D. T., Schairer, C., et al. (2009). Alcohol Use and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 169(3), 409-415.
  • Jouanjus, E., Micallef, J., & Lapeyre-Mestre, M. (2014). Cannabis Use: Signal of Increasing Risk of Serious Cardiovascular Disorders. Journal of the American Heart Association, 3(6), e000638.
  • Lobstein, T., Baur, L. A., & Uauy, R. (2004). Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in public health. Obesity Reviews, 5, 4-85.
  • Rawla, P., Sunkara, T., & Gaduputi, V. (2019). Epidemiology of Pancreatic Cancer: Global Trends, Etiology, and Risk Factors. World Journal of Oncology, 10(1), 10-27.
  • Saab, M. M., Kilty, C., Noonan, B., et al. (2020). Public Health Messaging and Strategies to Promote “SWIFT” Lung Cancer Detection: a Qualitative Study Among High-Risk Individuals. Journal of Cancer Education, 35(2), 291-298.
  • Singh, A., Saluja, S., Kumar, A., et al. (2021). Cannabis use predicts risks of heart failure and cerebrovascular accidents: results from the National Inpatient Sample. Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine, 22(12), 1014-1020.
  • Tramacere, I., Scotti, L., Jenab, M., et al. (2009). Alcohol drinking and pancreatic cancer risk: a meta-analysis of the dose-risk relation. International Journal of Cancer, 125(6), 1439-1446.
  • Vivion, M., Sidi, E., & Betsch, C., et al. (2020). Keeping It Fresh With Hip-Hop Teens: Promising Targeting Strategies for Delivering Public Health Messages to Hard-to-Reach Audiences. Health Promotion Practice, 21(5), 735-743.
  • Zhang, P., Lü, J., Jing, Y., et al. (2016). Global epidemiology of diabetic foot ulceration: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Medicine, 48(4), 286-293.
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