Two leading public health and alcohol harm experts are inviting the Tauranga community to a free public lecture focussing on how alcohol directly causes cancer.

Alcohol Action New Zealand members Professor Jennie Connor and Professor Doug Sellman will present their evidence at the Bay of Plenty District Health Board's Clinical Education Centre on Cameron Road tonight from 6.30pm.

Alcohol Action New Zealand's Professor Jennie Connor and Dr Tony Farrell. Photo: David Tauranga.

Alcohol Action NZ is a national advocacy group operated by health professionals working in the fields of addiction treatment and public health.

Jennie says the lecture will cover how alcohol causes cancer, as well as discuss the way the alcohol industry creates doubt about the evidence.

'Doug [one of the guest speakers] will cover how the alcohol industry interferes with honest messaging about alcohol in order to protect their markets. There's a lot of research and information available about how the industry operates to confuse people about the harmful messages,” she explains.

'Then I will talk more directly about the science around alcohol and cancer, what kind of evidence we have, what kinds of cancers and who gets affected, followed by what we can do to reduce the alcohol factor on cancer rates.”

Recently she published research showing about 250 alcohol-related cancer deaths occur in New Zealand each year, of which about 60 per cent of the deaths were women who died from breast cancer – a third of which occurred in women who drank on average less than two drinks a day.

These deaths from cancer result in an average 10.4 years of life lost per person affected, with more loss of life among Māori than non-Māori, and for breast cancer compared with other cancers.

Alcohol Action NZ member and Tauranga general practitioner Dr Tony Farrell says many people may not realise the serious long term harm that regular consumption of alcohol can do.

'This presentation is about delivering the facts so people can make informed choices about alcohol consumption and their health,” says Tony.

Jennie is quick to point out that Alcohol Action NZ is not 'anti-alcohol” but believes the country is in the midst of an 'under-recognised” national alcohol crisis. They are arguing for evidence-based changes to our laws to reduce alcohol-related harm, chronic diseases and acute injury.

These changes include dismantling alcohol marketing, increasing the price of alcohol; reducing alcohol accessibility; raising the legal purchase age, and increasing drink driving counter measures.

On Wednesday morning, the advocacy group will also hold a follow up meeting in Mount Maunganui for members of the public who are interested in getting more involved with Alcohol Action NZ.

The free Alcohol Action NZ public lecture is on at the BOPDHB's Clinical Education Centre at 889 Cameron Road from 6.30pm. For more information visit: alcoholaction.co.nz