Alcoholic beverages should carry a prominent warning label about the link between alcohol and cancer, according to the U.S. surgeon general.
Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S. after tobacco and obesity, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday in a press release, but most individuals are unaware of the connection. It can increase the risk for at least seven types of cancer.
“Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk from alcohol consumption and the Office of the Surgeon General’s responsibility to inform the American public of the best available scientific evidence, the Surgeon General recommends an update to the Surgeon General’s warning label for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning,” Murthy said in the advisory.
There are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually, the surgeon general warned, and cancer risk increases as alcohol consumption increases.
For certain cancers — like breast, mouth, and throat cancers — evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day.
The decision to update the current warning label ultimately will be made by Congress.
Labels currently printed on bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages warn about the dangers of drinking while pregnant or before driving and operating other machinery.
The language has not been updated since its inception in 1988, Murthy said.
