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Alcoholic beverages must carry a prominent warning label link between alcohol and canceraccording to the US Surgeon General.
Alcohol consumption is the third that can be prevented cause of cancer in the US after tobacco and obesity, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said on Friday press releasebut most people are unaware of the connection. It can increase the risk of at least seven types of cancer.
“Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk of 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 of the Surgeon General’s warning label for beverages containing alcohol to include a cancer risk warning,” Murthy said in the notice.
There are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths per year, the surgeon general warned, and the risk of cancer increases as alcohol consumption increases.
For certain cancers, such as those of the breast, mouth and throat, evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may begin to increase around one or fewer drinks a day.
The decision to update the current warning label will ultimately be made by Congress.
Labels currently printed on bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages warn of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy or before driving and using other machinery.
The language has not been updated since its inception in 1988, Murthy said.
