U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Friday issued a warning about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer, advocating health warning labels on alcoholic beverages to include cancer risk information.
In an advisory released on thedevelopment, Murthy stressed the role of alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of the disease in the United States, behind tobacco use and obesity.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a statement.
Roughly 70% of Americans consume alcohol, according to Dr. Brian P. Lee, a liver specialist at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California who researches the health effects of alcohol, and many are confused about whether an occasional drink is good or bad for them.
Only 45% of Americans surveyed by the American Institute for Cancer Research in 2019 said they believed that drinking alcohol causes cancer, the new advisory notes.
“A lot of confusion comes from prior studies that really weren’t as robust and based on methodology that probably isn’t as accurate,” Lee said.
The new surgeon general’s report is more in tune with modern evidence, Lee said.
“Even light drinking … really, there’s no benefit, and in fact, there may be harm,” he said.
The Surgeon General pointed out that cancer risks rise with alcohol consumption, even at low levels, saying that despite decades of research confirming the connection, fewer than half of Americans recognise alcohol as a cancer risk factor.
He highlighted the heightened risk for at least seven types of cancer, including breast, liver, and throat cancers, while underscoring the need for increased public awareness.
To address this gap, Murthy sought that the information on alcohol labels should also include its risk of causing cancer.
He also recommended reassessing existing guidelines for alcohol consumption and strengthening educational campaigns to inform the public.
Murthy encouraged healthcare providers to discuss the link between alcohol and cancer with patients and promote alcohol screening and treatment referrals.
Public health professionals and community groups were urged to spotlight alcohol as a modifiable cancer risk factor and expand awareness campaigns to reduce preventable cancer cases and deaths.
Surgeon General’s Advisories are reserved for pressing public health challenges.
Murthy previously issued advisories on issues like mental health, firearm violence, and social media’s impact on youth.
This latest advisory serves as a call to action, urging Americans to re-evaluate their alcohol consumption and its potential long-term health consequences.
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