Great Southerners urged to sacrifice the wine for their health; ‘the more you drink, the greater the risk’

An Albany breast cancer survivor is urging the region to consider their health while raising awareness and funds by taking part in Dry July this month. Funds raised from Dry July will go towards the Cancer Council’s Information and Support Line, a free service provided to all Australian’s affected by cancer. Janice Fulton’s wine glasses will remain empty all month long as she sacrifices an occasional drink for a good cause and her health. “I thought it would be good for my health but I also wanted to sort of raise a bit more awareness about breast cancer,” she said. “I had breast cancer in 2009, and between the radiotherapy and chemotherapy the Cancer Council was fantastic to me, I just can’t praise them enough.” The first time abstainer had thought about doing it for years and finally decided to give it up to raise awareness. “I’ve thought about it for years, but I’ve just come back from Scotland and didn’t drink while I was there,” she said. “And now I just feel fantastic, so I thought why not?” CCWA’s Great Southern Regional Education Officer Bruce Beamish said Dry July was a great opportunity to raise funds and improve personal health. “The service connects West Australians with relevant support, information and resources to help them through their cancer journey,” he said. “Last year the service provided support to more than 5500 West Australians. “It’s a confidential service run by experienced cancer nurses and is available to those affected by or concerned about cancer, it’s not a government-funded initiative and relies on the generosity of donors and fundraisers. “Alcohol is a cause of cancer, research shows that every year more than 3200 cases of cancer can be attributed to alcohol use, such as mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, bowel and breast cancer in women. “To reduce your cancer risk, the message is avoid alcohol. “The more you drink, and the more often you drink, the greater your risk.”