Alcohol and Health
2023-11-08
Does Alcohol Cause Diabetes?
In Hong Kong, both diabetes and harmful alcohol use are important public health issues. The Population Health Survey 2020-22 of the Department of Health (DH) observed that the overall prevalence of diabetes among Hong Kong’s people aged 15 – 84 was 8.5%. Besides, the survey indicated that 15.3% of the Hong Kong’s people aged 15 or above drank alcoholic beverages occasionally (i.e. drank in three days or less a month) and 8.7% drank regularly (i.e. drank at least once a week) in the 12 months preceding the survey.
Alcohol is a toxic substance with direct and indirect effects on various body organs and systems. The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has also classified alcohol as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), the same category as tobacco smoke, ionising radiation and asbestos, causing various types of cancers. Concerning cancer-causing effect, there is no safety level for drinking.
Alcohol can affect carbohydrate metabolism in the liver and affect blood glucose level, and it is extremely calorific but no nutrition value. Each gram of alcohol contains 7 kilocalories, which is almost twice as many calories as carbohydrates (e.g. sugar) or proteins do (both contain 4 kilocalories per gram). A can/small bottle of beer (330 ml, 5% alcohol by volume) can contain approximately 140 kilocalories. A glass of red wine (175 ml, 13% alcohol by volume) can contain approximately 160 kilocalories. So drinking whatever kind of alcohol can also increase the chance of becoming obese which raises the risk of developing diabetes.
The best option for lowering the risk of getting diabetes and other diseases is no drinking at all.
Health Information on Effects of Alcohol
- Alcohol and Your Health
- Alcohol and Cancer
- How Can Binge-drinking Affect Your Health?
- Alcopop, Caffaine and Alcohol
Videos and Animations
NCD Watch
- February 2023 - Alcohol Consumption and Obesity Risk
- December 2022 - Heavy Alcohol Drinking and Holiday Heart Syndrome
- December 2021 - Alcohol Drinking and Cancer Risks
- December 2020 - Alcohol Drinking, COVID-19 and NCDs
- May 2020 - Alcohol : Bad for Blood Pressure
- February 2019 - The Toxic Truth About Alcohol
- January 2018 - Freed From the Alcohol Trap
Practical Advice and Toolkit
- e-alcohol screening and brief intervention (e-SBI)
- "Drink or Not Drink? Be Informed If You Drink!" Booklet
- Make Informed Choice
- How You Can Change Your Drinking Habits To Reduce Health Risk: A Self-help Booklet
- Creating Your Habit-breaking Plan
- Keeping a Drinking Diary for Tracking Progress
- How Much Alcohol Unit Have You Drunk?
- Alcohol Unit Calculator
- Toolkit for Health Professionals
Facts and Figures
- Alcohol Consumption Per Capita in Hong Kong
- Pattern of Alcohol Consumption among Hong Kong People (aged 15 or above)
Myths and FAQ