Women who drink more than the government recommended limit of 14 units per week are 50% more likely to develop breast cancer, the Department of Health has revealed.
In an effort to press the danger home a £10m advertising campaign has been launched targeting middle-aged women who are most likely to underestimate the amount they are drinking.
"Women who regularly drink too much are 50% more likely to develop breast cancer
The health department report, which is yet to be published, concludes that women who drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week are at increased risk, an opinion agreed with by Cancer Research who say alcohol causes about 2,000 cases of breast cancer each year.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo told the BBC "Women who regularly drink too much are 50% more likely to develop breast cancer. And many drink too much simply because they have no idea how many alcohol units they are consuming. After the campaign no-one will be in any doubt as to how many units they're drinking and the impact that can have on their health."
The concern is that stronger wines up to 13% alcohol coupled with 250ml glasses can make women think they are drinking less than they are, as in these measures a glass can contain as much as 3.5 units of alcohol.
Primarolo said professional women who drank too much had "gone under the radar" for a long time, adding "It's fair to say that most women don't know how much they're drinking," she said.
"They don't know how many units they drinking. And don't know that, at 3.5 units, that large glass of Rioja they drank last night actually took them over their daily amount."
Other health risks for women associated with heavy drinking also include liver disease and ruptured bladders.