Govt Targets 'lao Khao'

LIVER CANCER: Govt targets 'lao khao'

Rise in disease prompts anti-booze campaign

BANGKOK: A rise in liver cancer and associated illnesses has prompted the Public Health Ministry to look for ways to persuade people to drink less alcohol.

The ministry is preparing to carry out a study to determine what makes lao khao, a cheap local white whisky that is commonly consumed by low-income earners, seemingly more addictive than other alcoholic beverages.

Seventy to 80 per cent of alcoholics receiving therapy to quit drinking are addicted to lao khao, said Dr Seri Tuchinda, director of the Medical Services Department.

"That makes us wonder if there is any substance in lao khao that causes addiction," he said.

He added that researching lao khao would shed light on efforts to rehabilitate alcoholics and prevent addiction.

Seri said that although alcohol is not a major cause of liver cancer, people who are vulnerable to the deadly disease raise the risk of contracting it by drinking.

Liver fluke and hepatitis types B and C are the two major causes of liver cancer in Thailand, and drinking alcohol is considered a factor that triggers the development of the disease, said Dr Theerawuth Khuhaprema, director of the National Cancer Institute.

He added that drinking alcohol is the main cause of liver cancer in Western countries, where consumption rates are far higher than in Thailand.

Drinking alcohol destroys liver cells, which are re-grown. However, if fluke disease or hepatitis are present, the new cells can become tumours, said Theerawuth, who is also an expert on liver cancer.

He added that the campaign to reduce the nation's alcohol consumption should be promoted alongside the campaigns against fluke diseases and hepatitis.

"Otherwise, alcohol will become a major cause of liver cancer in place of the two present causes," he added.

Seri said alcohol consumption rates had soared since addiction to ya ba, or methamphetamines, fell as a consequence of the government's war on drugs.

About 12,000 new cases of liver cancer appear each year and 60-80 of the victims typically die shortly after showing symptoms of the disease, said Theerawuth.

Incidence of the disease continues to rise and it has long been a major killer, he added.

--The Nation