The surgeon general of the United States said Friday that alcoholic beverages should include a prominent warning label about the link between alcohol and cancer.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated that alcohol consumption is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, trailing only tobacco and obesity, but most people are unaware of the link. It may increase the risk of at least seven types of cancer.
“Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk from alcohol consumption and the Office of the Surgeon General’s responsibility to inform the American public of the best available scientific evidence, the Surgeon General recommends an update to the Surgeon General’s warning label for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning,” according to the advisory.
Murthy warned that there are approximately 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths each year, and that the risk of cancer increases with alcohol consumption.
“Higher alcohol consumption increases alcohol-related cancer risk, yet only 45% of American adults are aware that consuming alcohol increases their risk of developing cancer,” Murthy stated on X, a social media site.
For certain cancers, including breast, mouth, and throat cancers, evidence suggests that the risk of developing cancer may begin to rise at one or fewer drinks per day.
The decision to update the current warning label will ultimately be made by Congress, and it is unclear whether the Trump administration would support such a change.
Trump’s nominee for surgeon general is Janette Nesheiwat, a family and emergency medicine physician and former Fox News contributor.
Trump claims he does not drink alcohol, citing his brother’s death from alcoholism, but he has not spoken out against it.
His nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has publicly discussed his own struggles with alcohol and his belief in the benefits of a 12-step program.
“For decades, I’ve maintained my sobriety by regularly participating in the sobriety of others and attending AA meetings,” Kennedy wrote on the website X.
The advisory comes amid a major scientific debate about how much alcohol is safe for adults, as well as an update to the influential federal Dietary Guidelines.
The guidelines are updated every five years. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting alcohol consumption to two drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women, with the overall message that “drinking less is better for health than drinking more.”
For decades, the accepted wisdom was that moderate amounts of alcohol, particularly red wine, were beneficial.
However, evidence linking alcohol to an increased risk of cancer is growing, and health officials are taking note. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO’s specialized cancer agency, classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, along with tobacco, asbestos, formaldehyde, and others.
A report released in December by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reignited the debate while also demonstrating the nuances that may play a role in the alcohol intake portion of the dietary guidelines.
It concluded that moderate drinking may be associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. However, it discovered that moderate drinking was associated with a higher risk of certain cancers, particularly breast cancer in women.
The spirits industry emphasized that nuance in a statement released Friday, stating that the federal government must consider the “entire body of scientific research” before proposing any warning label changes.
“The current health warning on alcohol products has long warned consumers about the potential dangers of drinking alcohol.
Many lifestyle choices may pose risks, and it is the federal government’s responsibility to determine any proposed changes to warning statements based on the entire body of scientific research,” said Amanda Berger, senior vice president for science and research at the Distilled Spirits Council.
Berger indicated that the Council doesn’t “recommend that anyone drink to achieve health benefits and urge all adults who choose to consume alcohol to consult their health provider to determine what is best for them.”
Current labels on alcoholic beverage bottles and cans warn about the dangers of drinking while pregnant, as well as before driving or operating other machinery.
Murthy explained that the language has not been updated since its inception in 1988.
Surgeon General’s Advisories are public statements that alert the American people to a critical public health issue. Murthy provides advice on topics such as firearm violence, loneliness and isolation, social media, and the mental health of parents and young people.
