Abstract 2: A Model of Public Health Campaign on the Awareness of Alcohol Flushing and Prevention of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers in East Asia

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to share a model of public health campaign on the awareness of alcohol flushing and prevention of upper aerodigestive tract cancers in East Asia. East Asians suffers the highest cancer burden attributable to alcohol use with a particularly high incidences of esophageal cancer and other upper aerodigestive trac (UADT) cancers. Alcohol use and carrying the common East Asian-specific dysfunctional mutation in the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene are two major and synergistic risk factors. Alcohol flushing or alcohol intolerance is the better-known manifestation of ALDH2 deficiency following alcohol consumption. Although UADT cancers are highly preventable, there is a lack of awareness and education on alcohol flushing and its associated health risks in East Asian countries and Asian communities in the U.S. Methods: Several small-scale university-based studies have shown that alcohol flushing education and awareness could reduce alcohol consumption, indicating that a promising model for community-based public health campaign. In Taiwan, we have successfully created such a model by establishing a non-profitable advocacy group (Taiwan Alcohol Intolerance Education Society, TAIES) and collaborate with community leaders, universities, hospitals, volunteers, and government health promotion agencies to educate the public. Educational materials such as fliers, posters, animation videos, interviews were produced and disseminated widely in public exhibitions, conferences, university/community outreach events and via government websites and news/social media. Results: An interview with a popular social media influencer reached more than 500,000 viewers within one week. A national “Taiwan No Alcohol Day” on May 9th (59 =無酒, a homophone in Chinese) was also launched to raise awareness since 2019. ‘No Alcohol Day’ received endorsements from the government and more than 150 organizations. A pilot study to incorporate ALDH2 genetic test and education in oral cancer prevention program in Taiwan has been initiated. Conclusion: Our public health campaign model demonstrated wide reach and strong community and government support. Similar public health campaign on alcohol flushing and cancer risk should also be translated and disseminated in other East Asian countries and to the nearly 19 million Asian Americans in the U.S. Citation Format: Che-Hong Chen, Daria Mochly-Rosen, Su-I Hou. A Model of Public Health Campaign on the Awareness of Alcohol Flushing and Prevention of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers in East Asia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Closing the Research-to-Implementation Gap; 2023 Apr 4-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2.