Saturday, January 4, 2025 - The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy on Friday, January 3, issued a new advisory warning that alcohol consumption can increase cancer risk, and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages.
“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.
Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the US,
after tobacco and obesity, the Surgeon General’s office said,
His office said the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is
well-established for at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectum,
esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box and the risk remains regardless
of what type of alcohol is consumed, and increases with greater consumption.
Increasingly, evidence has mounted against alcohol consumption because
of its health risks, which goes against perceptions that some alcohol
especially red wine could benefit health.
For cancers like breast, mouth and throat cancers, the risk may start to
develop with one or fewer drinks per day, the Surgeon General’s office said. It
also noted any individual’s cancer risk is influenced by a number of factors,
including their own biology and environment.
The Surgeon General’s advisory also calls for guideline limits for
alcohol consumption to be assessed to account for cancer risk, and seeks to
raise awareness for individuals about the link to cancer risk as they decide
whether and how much to drink.
An updated warning label on alcoholic beverages to reflect cancer risk would
require approval from Congress.
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