US Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warnings on Alcoholic Beverages

America’s top doctor has called for the same risk warnings on alcoholic beverages as on cigarette labels, following new research that links the drink to seven types of cancer.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s advisory states that “the vast majority of Americans are unaware of the risk” of cancer, which causes about 100,000 cases and 20,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.

An act of Congress would be required to change the current warning labels, which have not been updated since 1988.

Mr Murthy has also called for a re-examination of the recommended limits for alcohol consumption and increased educational efforts regarding alcoholic beverages and cancer.

Alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco and obesity, said the surgeon general, who is the federal government’s chief public health spokesperson.

“A direct relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well established for at least seven types of cancer…regardless of the type of alcohol (eg, beer, wine, and spirits) that is consumed,” Mr Murthy said in a statement. statement

This includes an increased risk of breast (in women), throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx and colon cancers.

The new report recommends that health care providers should be encouraged to refer to alcohol screening and treatment as needed, and public awareness efforts should be expanded.

Warning labels are currently required to state that pregnant women should not drink alcohol due to the risks of birth defects. It must also state that “consumption of alcoholic beverages affects your ability to drive or operate machinery, and may cause health problems”.

Over the past two decades, countries have increasingly introduced warning labels to inform consumers of the health risks of alcohol.

World Health Organization’s 2018 Global Status Report on Alcohol and HealthMr Murthy’s report, cited in the report, said 47 member states made health and safety warnings on alcohol mandatory, up from 31 in 2014.

Ireland is the first country in the world to make mandatory warnings linking any level of alcohol consumption to cancer. From 2026, it will be a legal requirement for all bottles of wine in the Republic of Ireland to have a label.

South Korea also requires specific cancer warnings on alcohol.

In the US, only Congress can amend the new warning labels proposed by Mr Murthy, and it is unclear whether the incoming Trump administration will support the change.

Many countries have also revised their recommended consumption limits after new studies identified them. Of which there is no quantity. Alcohol is safe to drink.

Canada changed their recommendations from about two drinks per day in two weeks. last year

The US recommends no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women, while The UK recommends no more than 14 “units” of alcohol. – About six glasses of wine, or pints of beer – per week.

Share prices of US-listed alcoholic drinks companies – including Diageo, the world’s largest spirits maker – fell as much as 4% after the announcement.