Surgeon General Highlights Alcohol's Role in Cancer Risk and Calls for Updated Labels
FRIDAY, January 3 (The New York Times) — Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, and alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label as packs of cigarettes do, the U.S. surgeon general said on Friday.
Alcohol is directly linked to 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 related deaths each year, according to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In a recent statement, Dr. Murthy emphasized the need to update alcohol labels to reflect the heightened risk of several cancers which are now scientifically linked to alcohol consumption.
Many individuals believe that moderate drinking—defined as one drink per day for women and two for men—poses no significant health risks. However, Dr. Murthy pointed out that research does not support this assumption, particularly when it comes to cancer risk.
Dr. Murthy advocates for clearer warning labels on alcohol products, urging that they include information about the connection between alcohol and at least five types of cancer; breast (in women) colorectal, esophagus, voice box, liver, mouth, and throat. However, only Congress can mandate such changes, and it remains uncertain whether the incoming administration would support this initiative.
Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco and obesity, according to the surgeon general’s report, but fewer than half of Americans identified alcohol as a risk factor for alcohol.