"The Agricultural-Alcohol Connection: Iowa's Cancer Crisis"
A new report from the Iowa Cancer Registry suggests that the state's high cancer rates may be linked to binge alcohol consumption, despite concerns from researchers about the potential impact of agricultural chemicals. Iowa's heavy use of pesticides, fertilizers, and animal manure in its farming industry has raised suspicions about their contribution to cancer rates. Legislation has been proposed to invest in research to identify environmental sources of cancer, and public interest in the issue has grown. While alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for certain cancers, some doubt its role in Iowa's rising cancer rates, and there is a call for scientific investigation to determine the true causes of the state's "cancer crisis."
