Surgeon General Urges A New Label For Alcohol To Alert People To The Risk Of Cancer

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has suggested that alcohol be prominently branded on drinks Americans consume because it is a major cause of cancer.

Although Mr. Murthy’s recommendation comes as research and data on the negative health impacts of alcohol continue to grow, his label proposal would need the unusual approval of the US Congress. In his advice, Mr. Murthy notes that alcohol use is responsible for about one million avoidable cancer cases in the US over the past ten years and that Americans should be better informed about the connection between alcohol and cancer in particular.

According to his advice, those alcohol-related cancer cases claim the lives of almost 20,000 people annually. Beer, wine, and spirits bottles already have warning labels that state that pregnant women shouldn’t drink and that drinking alcohol can make it harder to drive.

However, Mr. Murthy’s suggested label would go one step further and increase awareness of the cancer risk as well. Dr. Timothy Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, remarked, “It’s pretty crazy that there’s a lot more information on a can of peas than on a bottle of whisky.

“Basic information about health risks, serving sizes, and drinks per container should be provided to consumers.”

According to research, drinking alcohol increases the chance of at least seven different cancers, including those of the throat, breast, and liver.

Dr. Vivek Murthy posted on Twitter,

“NEW: Today, I’m releasing a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the causal link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. Alcohol is the 3rd leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., contributing to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths each year.

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“Consuming any type of alcohol – beer, wine, or spirits – increases the risk for at least seven types of cancer, including cancers of the breast for women, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box (larynx).

“Higher alcohol consumption increases alcohol-related cancer risk, yet only 45% of American adults are aware that consuming alcohol increases their risk of developing cancer.

“To help increase awareness of this link and reduce the risk of alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths, my advisory includes several recommendations:

“Congress should authorize an update to the Surgeon General’s warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning. The advisory also calls for a reassessment & revision of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for increased cancer risk.

“Public health professionals, community groups, and organizations can also help by strengthening and expanding education efforts to increase general awareness. Healthcare providers can also inform their patients and promote the use of alcohol screening and treatments.

“For individuals, be aware that cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol. As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk.”

Congress is unlikely to move quickly to adopt a new surgeon general’s warning on alcohol products, despite the surgeon general’s advice and recent research demonstrating the risks of drinking. The first government warning label on alcohol, which advises pregnant women not to drink and warns of the risks of driving after drinking, was passed by Congress almost forty years ago. Since then, there have been no updates. Before that, Congress authorized a cigarette label warning consumers that smoking is unhealthy, a measure that is recognized for having significantly decreased America’s health problems.

This advice is for everyone all over the world who engages in drinking alcohol. Desist from it!