US Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages

The US’s top doctor has called for warnings about the dangers of alcoholic drinks, similar to labels on cigarettes, in the wake of new research linking the drinks to seven types of cancer.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy advises that “the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” which leads to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 deaths annually in the United States.

It would require an act of Congress to change the current warning labels, which have not been updated since 1988.

Mr. Murthy also called for a re-evaluation of recommended limits for alcohol consumption and strengthening of education efforts regarding alcoholic beverages and cancer.

Alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity, said the Surgeon General, the federal government’s chief spokesman on public health matters.

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

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

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

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

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

WHO report on the global situation of alcohol and health in 2018Murthy’s report said 47 member states had imposed health and safety warnings on alcohol, compared to 31 in 2014.

Ireland is the first country in the world to impose a warning linking any level of alcohol consumption to cancer. From 2026, it will be a legal requirement for all bottles of alcohol in the Republic of Ireland to carry a label.

South Korea also requires cancer warnings on alcohol.

In the United States, only Congress can modify the new warning labels recommended by Mr. Murthy, and it is not clear whether the incoming Trump administration will support such a change.

Many countries have also revised the recommended consumption limits after referring to new studies That any amount Alcohol is safe to drink.

Canada She modified her recommendation from about two drinks per day to two drinks per week last year.

The United States recommends no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women, while… The UK suggests no more than 14 ‘units’ of alcohol – About six glasses of wine, or pints of beer – per week.

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