US top doctor calls for cancer warnings on alcohol
America’s leading health official has advocated for risk warnings on alcoholic beverages, akin to cigarette labels, following new research linking alcohol to seven types of cancer.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s advisory highlights that “most Americans are unaware of this risk,” contributing to approximately 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 deaths annually in the US.
Changing the current warning labels, which have not been updated since 1988, would require an act of Congress.
Murthy also called for a reevaluation of the recommended alcohol consumption limits and enhanced public education on the connection between alcohol and cancer.
As the primary public health spokesperson for the federal government, Murthy pointed out that alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of cancer, following tobacco and obesity.
“The direct link between alcohol and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer, regardless of the type of alcohol consumed (beer, wine, spirits),” Murthy stated.
These cancers include breast cancer (in women), throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx, and colon cancer.
The new report urges healthcare providers to promote alcohol screening and referrals for treatment and calls for expanded efforts to raise awareness.
Current warning labels must state that pregnant women should avoid alcohol due to birth defects and that alcohol consumption impairs driving and may lead to health issues.
In recent decades, more countries have implemented warning labels to inform the public about alcohol-related health risks. The World Health Organization’s 2018 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, referenced in Murthy’s report, noted that 47 countries required health warnings on alcohol, up from 31 in 2014.
Ireland became the first country to mandate a cancer warning on alcohol, which will be legally required on all bottles starting in 2026. South Korea also mandates cancer-specific warnings on alcohol.
In the US, only Congress can modify the warning labels as recommended by Murthy, and it remains uncertain whether the incoming Trump administration will support the change.
Numerous countries have also revised alcohol consumption guidelines after studies indicated that no amount of alcohol is entirely safe.
Canada revised its recommendation from nearly two drinks per day to two per week last year.
The US recommends no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women, while the UK suggests no more than 14 “units” of alcohol – around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer – per week.
Share prices of US-listed alcoholic beverage companies – including Diageo, the world’s biggest spirits manufacturer – fell by up to 4% following the announcement.
