Experts warn over mouthwash cancer risk

11th January 2009

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Health experts have warned that mouthwashes containing alcohol can cause cancer and should be removed from supermarket shelves.

News Ltd says leading independent experts issued the warning after investigating the latest scientific evidence linking alcohol-containing mouthwashes to the deadly disease.

Their review, published in the Dental Journal of Australia, concludes there is now "sufficient evidence" that "alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer".

The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.

Mouthwash is one of the fastest-growing grocery products in Australia, with the category now worth more than $75 million, according to latest Nielsen market research.

Lead review author Professor Michael McCullough, associate professor of oral medicine at the University of Melbourne, told News Ltd that alcohol-containing mouthwash should be reclassified as prescription-only and carry written health warnings.