America’s top doctor has called for risk warnings on alcoholic beverages similar to those on cigarette labels, following a new study linking them to seven types of cancer.
“Most Americans are unaware of this risk,” which leads to an estimated 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 deaths each year in the U.S., according to an advisory from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
A bill in Congress is needed to change existing warning labels, which have not been updated since 1988.
Prime Minister Murthy also called for a reassessment of recommended drinking limits and increased education efforts about alcoholic beverages and cancer.
The Surgeon General, the federal government’s main spokesperson on public health issues, said alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity.
“The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well established for at least seven types of cancer, regardless of the type of alcohol consumed (e.g. beer, wine, spirits),” Murthy said. name.
These include an increased risk of breast cancer (in women), throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx, and colon.
The new report recommends that health care providers should expand efforts to encourage referrals for alcohol testing and treatment as needed and to increase general awareness.
Current warning labels state that pregnant women should not drink alcohol due to the risk of birth defects. It should also state that “consumption of alcoholic beverages can impair your ability to drive a car or operate machinery and 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 (WHO) Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2018Cited in Murthy’s report, 47 member states have mandated health and safety warnings for alcohol, up from 31 in 2014.
Ireland is the first country in the world to mandate warnings linking all levels of alcohol consumption to cancer. From 2026, all alcohol bottles in the Republic of Ireland will be legally required to be labeled.
Korea also requires cancer-related warnings on alcohol.
In the United States, only Congress can change the new warning labels recommended by Mr. Murthy, and it is not clear whether the incoming Trump administration will support the changes.
Many countries have revised their recommended consumption limits following new research findings. Not to that extent. Alcohol is safe to drink.
Canada The recommended amount was revised from two drinks per day to two drinks per week. last year.
In the United States, it is recommended that men drink no more than two drinks a day and women drink no more than one drink a day. In the UK, no more than 14 “units” of alcohol are recommended. – About 6 glasses of wine or 1 pint of beer per week.
Shares of U.S.-listed alcohol companies, including Diageo, the world’s largest alcohol maker, fell as much as 4% following the announcement.
