November is Mouth Cancer Action Month, and NHS Forth Valley is working with various partners to create environments that support people to address the lifestyle and risk factors for mouth cancer, including support to stop smoking, alcohol interventions and initiatives to increase healthy eating.

Tobacco use is considered to be the main cause of mouth cancer, with 2 in 3 cases being linked to smoking. Drinking alcohol to excess increases the risk of mouth cancer, and done alongside smoking, trebles the risk.

As smoking tobacco makes a person up to 10 times more likely to develop mouth cancer, quitting smoking is the best thing that a person can do to reduce the risk and improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Anyone interested in receiving further information or support on stopping smoking should contact the NHS Forth Valley Stop Smoking Service by phone: 01786 433293, or email: fv.fvstopsmokingservice@nhs.scot

For further information on the key messages around early detection, symptoms and signs of mouth cancer (or to download Mouth Cancer Action Month campaign resources), please visit the Oral Health Foundation’s website (linked for your convenience).

Alternatively, for additional free downloadable and printed resources on the links between smoking, alcohol and mouth cancer, visit the NHS Forth Valley Resources Service.