In this episode of The Shift, USAPA CEO Mike Marshall explores Ireland's groundbreaking step toward requiring cancer warning labels on alcohol. Joined by Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland, they unpack how Ireland became the first country in the world to mandate labels that tell the truth about alcohol's health risks, and what it could mean for U.S. policy. This conversation reveals why warning labels matter, how the alcohol industry fights to suppress them, and what advocates everywhere can learn from Ireland's playbook.

Guest Bio

Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland, and is a leading advocate in Ireland who focuses on reducing alcohol harms. She is a member of the Public Health Alcohol Research Group established by the Minister for Health in Ireland to advise on alcohol policy evaluation research.

Key Takeaways

✅ Alcohol warning labels make a difference — Studies show that clear health warnings reduce consumption, inform public debate, and shift cultural norms.

✅ Industry pushback is fierce and strategic — Big Alcohol uses delay tactics, misinformation, and economic arguments to stall implementation.

✅ Advocates can learn from Ireland's success — Build coalitions, gather public polling data, and keep the issue visible in the media to maintain momentum for change.

Resources & Links

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📄 Transcript of this Episode

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In this episode of The Shift, USAPA CEO Mike Marshall explores the hidden link between alcohol and breast cancer—a connection too few people know about. Joined by Stephanie Mencimer, senior reporter at Mother Jones, they unpack Stephanie's personal journey through a breast cancer diagnosis and her groundbreaking 2018 investigation, "Did Drinking Give Me Breast Cancer?" Together, they examine how the alcohol industry has downplayed the science, shaped public perception, and even "pinkwashed" its products in the name of breast cancer awareness.

Guest Bio

Stephanie Mencimer is a staff reporter at Mother Jones. In 2017, Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer and while going through treatment wrote, "Did Drinking Give Me Breast Cancer?"

Key Takeaways

✅ Alcohol is a known carcinogen, and evidence linking it to breast cancer has been clear for decades—yet most women are never told this by their doctors.

✅ The alcohol industry has invested heavily in shaping research and public messaging, emphasizing "personal responsibility" and the myth of health benefits while minimizing known risks.

✅ Knowledge is power—as Stephanie's story shows, being informed about alcohol's real risks gives people the freedom to make choices about their health based on truth, not marketing.

Resources & Links

🎙️ Subscribe to this Podcast → https://www.youtube.com/@usalcoholpolicy?sub_confirmation=1

📩 Subscribe to the USAPA Newsletter → https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ZjD6FbS/usapapodcast

💙 Donate to USAPA → https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3FALCUVKPLLTQ&source=url&ssrt=1703743018896

📄 Transcript of this episode → https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dYhLcZAuuLMyyIITepJD0ryzWvMDR-Cg/view?usp=sharing

📚 Read Stephanie's article "Did Drinking Give Me Breast Cancer?"→ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/04/did-drinking-give-me-breast-cancer/

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On this episode of The Shift, U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance CEO Mike Marshall talks with board member, attorney, operator, investor, and advisor to start-ups and organizations across tech and wellbeing Cecily Mak about her breast cancer journey — from what she wishes she knew before she was diagnosed to the work she's doing to help people make informed choices about the role of alcohol in their lives.

About Our Guest

Cecily Mak, one of our USAPA board members, is an entrepreneur, author, and mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 40s. Cecily shares her journey from diagnosis to recovery and how it changed the way she thinks about alcohol, health, and the messages we're all surrounded by. It's an honest, powerful conversation about vulnerability, strength, and shifting the way we talk about breast cancer prevention.

Key Discussions

✅ Cecily's cancer journey and how she learned about the link between alcohol and breast cancer.

✅ How the alcohol industry is working to prevent people from knowing the truth about their products' harms.

✅ Cecily's commitment to helping people make informed choices and change their habits or their tendencies or their relationship with alcohol or any other thing that's taking them away from presence and clarity. Alcohol was my primary one. From the inside out, from an intentional and conscious way.

Resources & Links

📩 Subscribe to the USAPA Newsletter

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📄 Transcript of this Episode

🌐 Cecily Mak's Website

👤 Cecily Mak's Bio

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Welcome to the first episode of The Shift, the podcast where we want to shift the national narrative about alcohol. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each year, 40,000 American women die due to breast cancer. Of those deaths, 2,500 are directly attributable to alcohol. This episode features a conversation between host Mike Marshall and scientist Priscilla Martinez. It's really fascinating … and somewhat scary. And it started off with her talking about the science and the link between alcohol and breast cancer.

About Our Guest

Priscilla Martinez, MPHIL, PHD is a scientist and Deputy Scientific Director at the Alcohol Research Group with over 15 years of experience in public health research and alcohol research, specifically. She is the lead Co-Director of the National Alcohol Survey, the longest-running alcohol survey in the US. At ARG, Martinez has led several NIH- and state-funded studies examining changes in alcohol use and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the development and dissemination of health communication strategies related to alcohol and breast cancer risk, and alcohol's effects on inflammation. Her work has contributed to understanding US drinking patterns, participation in mutual-help groups, and public awareness of alcohol's health effects. She has also contributed to innovations in survey methodology, including the integration of biomarkers into population-based research and strategies for reaching populations less likely to participate in health surveys.

Key Discussions

✅ How alcohol causes breast cancer.

✅ Pink washing by the alcohol industry, particularly during the October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

✅ The Surgeon General's most recent warning about the need to increase understanding and education around the link between breast cancer and alcohol.

✅ What Drink Less for Your Breasts is doing to raise awareness for the alcohol-breast cancer link.

Episode Links

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📄 Transcript of this Episode

🌐 Drink Less for your Breasts

👤 Dr. Martinez's Full Bio

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If you found this conversation valuable, please subscribe to The Shift wherever you listen to podcasts and share it with someone who needs to hear the truth.

The Shift is a podcast that explores the hidden link between alcohol and the harm it causes, drawing from lived experience, community perspectives, the latest evidence, and the policies that can create change.

In this inaugural episode, USAPA Board Member Cecily Mak interviews USAPA CEO Mike Marshall to answer the big questions – what is The Shift, and why are we launching now?

Episode Links

📩 Subscribe to the USAPA Newsletter

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📄 Transcript of this Episode

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If you found this conversation valuable, please subscribe to The Shift wherever you listen to podcasts and share it with someone who needs to hear the truth.