US surgeon general calls for cancer warnings on alcohol
Just as with labels on cigarettes, America’s top doctor is calling for cancer risk warnings on alcohol after a report cites studies linking alcoholic beverages to more than a half-dozen malignancies, including breast cancer.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk on Friday outlining the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol consumption is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity. And according to the report released by Murthy’s office, it increases the risk for at least seven types of cancer.
In a post on X, Murthy said alcohol contributes to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the U.S., a number greater than the 13,500 alcohol-related traffic accidents each year.
“While scientific evidence for this connection has been growing over the past four decades, less than half of Americans recognize it as a risk factor for cancer,” Murthy’s office said in a statement. “This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
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What 7 cancers does the report link to alcohol?
The advisory includes a series of recommendations, including updating the existing surgeon general’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to now include cancer risk − similar to the label on cigarettes.
In addition, the advisory calls for a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for risk of cancer, and it advises people to be aware of the ties between alcohol and the increased cancer risk when considering whether they should drink or how much to drink.
Murthy is calling on Congress to act to update the labels to include an increased risk of the following cancers linked to alcohol consumption:
- Breast
- Colon
- Throat
- Liver
- Voice box
- Esophagus
- Mouth
Only Congress can require the warning labels Murthy recommended, a move that ultimately needs backing from the incoming administration.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he does not drink, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, said he has been sober for more than four decades.
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This story has been updated with new information.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
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