It seems that far too many Americans are in the dark about alcohol’s cancer risk. This week, the U.S. surgeon general highlighted the connection between alcohol and cancer, while also advocating for labeling reforms to increase people’s awareness of the issue.
On Friday, the current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory on alcohol’s link to cancer, along with a report detailing the evidence for it. Among other things, Murthy has called for the adoption of warning labels on alcoholic beverages that spell out the danger. Less than half of all Americans even know that alcohol can cause cancer, the surgeon general notes.
Research studies throughout the years have consistently shown that alcohol can be a major risk factor for cancer. A 2021 study estimated that alcohol helps cause around 700,000 cancer cases worldwide annually, for instance. And it’s responsible for a fair share of cancer in the U.S. as well.
“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 U.S.—yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” said Murthy in a statement. “This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
Alcohol is thought to raise the risk of at least seven types of cancer, according to the surgeon general. These include cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx). Remarkably, alcohol may contribute to one of every six breast cancer cases. While the greatest health risks of alcohol are tied to binge or chronically heavy drinking, some research has suggested that even modest consumption (one or fewer drinks a day) can raise the risk of breast, throat, and mouth cancer.
Much of the general public remains unaware of the connection between alcohol and cancer, however. Nationally representative survey data has found that only 45% of Americans over 18 know about alcohol’s role in causing cancer. So in addition to the advisory, Murthy is recommending widespread warning labels for alcoholic products clearly detailing the link to cancer, similar to labeling already found on tobacco products.
Ultimately, any new warning labels will require approval from Congress. President-elect Donald Trump famously doesn’t drink, so his incoming administration may be more receptive to the idea than many would assume. But it’s still unclear whether Trump or the GOP-led House and Senate would back any such change.
Murthy has also called for other actions to increase the public’s awareness of alcohol and its association with cancer. These include the reassessment of guideline limits for alcohol consumption created by government health agencies to account for cancer risk, and pushing for public health groups and doctors to emphasize the link more prominently.
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