A customer drinks a glass of beer at the Saxton pub in Austin, Texas, on April 5, 2023.
Brandon Bell | fake images
The US surgeon general on Friday issued a new warning about the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk, and pushed for policy changes to help reduce the number of alcohol-related cancers.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said there is a “well-established” link between alcohol consumption and at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, esophageal and liver. For cancers, including breast, mouth and throat, the highest risk may start with one drink or less per day, according to your office.
As part of the advisory, the surgeon general called for policy changes that could help reduce alcohol-related cancers. He pushed to make alcoholic beverage labels more visible and include a warning about the increased risk of cancer, to reevaluate recommended limits for alcohol consumption based on the latest research, and to expand education to increase general awareness that Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer.
The efforts described in the notice are similar to those already implemented to reduce tobacco use, including a series of mandatory warnings on packaging and in stores.
The surgeon general advised people to consider the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk when deciding whether or how much to drink.
According to the advisory, alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., behind only tobacco and obesity.
“Alcohol is a well-established and preventable cause of cancer, responsible for about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States (more than the 13,500 alcohol-related traffic deaths per year in the United States). However, most Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a news release.
Stocks of alcohol manufacturers, including Molson-Coors and Anheuser-Busch It initially fell more than 1% after the warning.
According to the advisory, 72% of American adults said they had one or more drinks per week between 2019 and 2020, but less than half of all adults are aware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.
Worldwide, 741,300 cancer cases were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2020, according to the surgeon general.
On average, alcohol-related cancer deaths shorten the lives of those who die by 15 years.
Younger Americans are already moving further away from alcohol, with many turning to non-alcoholic alternatives. About two-thirds of adults ages 18 to 34 say alcohol consumption negatively affects their health, compared to less than 40% of people ages 35 to 54 and 55 and older, according to a Gallup poll published in August.
