Surgeon General asks for cancer warnings on alcohol labels
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is urging for cancer warnings on alcohol labels.
He is citing its link to seven types of cancer including breast, mouth and throat cancers.
The warning, aligned with the evidence that even moderate drinking can increase cancer risks, is proposed.
Alcohol remains a top preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., contributing to roughly 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 deaths annually.
Current labels warn against drinking while pregnant or operating machinery, but Murthy argues for a more explicit cancer risk warning to better inform the public.
The move, needing Congressional approval, comes as the health community debates the outdated perception that moderate drinking could protect against heart disease.
The advisory underscores alcohol’s significant role in preventable cancer deaths, which exceed those from traffic-related fatalities.
More than 740,000 cancer cases globally could be attributed to alcohol use in 2020.
The advisory highlights the general public’s lack of awareness about alcohol’s carcinogenic effects, which came to light in the 1980s.
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