Alcohol should have a cancer warning label, says US surgeon general

Alcoholic beverages must carry a label warning consumers of their cancer risks, the US Surgeon General said in an advisory today.

The office of US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy noted that alcohol consumption increases the risk of “at least seven types of cancer” including breast, colon and liver.

“Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, behind tobacco and obesity, increasing the risk of at least seven types of cancer,” Murthy’s office said in a statement accompanying the new report.

It is responsible for 100,000 cases of cancer in the US and 20,000 cancer deaths each year, more than the 13,500 deaths from alcohol-related traffic accidents, he added.

“The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well established for at least seven types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box ( larynx). , regardless of the type of alcohol (eg, beer, wine, and spirits) consumed,” the report states.

“For breast cancer specifically, 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are attributable to alcohol consumption.”

The report also called for guidelines on alcohol consumption limits to be reassessed so people can weigh up cancer risk when deciding whether or how much to drink, alongside current warnings about birth defects and injuries while using machinery. .

He further advised public health professionals, health care providers and community groups to highlight alcohol as a major preventable cause of cancer and expand education on the subject.

In September, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) reported that 5% of all cancer cases are caused by drinking alcohol.

They also found that 51% of Americans are unaware that alcohol increases the risk of cancer.

“It has flown under the radar for too long — especially given the number of Americans who meet criteria for alcohol use disorder, which is about 29 million Americans in 2023,” addiction psychiatrist Dr. Adam Scioli of Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania. , who is not affiliated with the AACR, told Fox News at the time.