(NewsNation) — U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is urging Congress to add cancer risk warnings to alcohol labels after a report cites studies linking alcohol consumption to increased cancer risk.
In a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk released Friday, Murthy outlined how alcohol contributed to at least seven types of cancer, including breast and mouth 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,” Murthy said in the advisory.
He noted that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, but many Americans remain unaware of the connection.
Alcohol use is linked to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the U.S., with the risk rising as alcohol consumption increases, America’s top doctor warned.
Current alcohol labels, created in 1988, warn about dangers like drinking while pregnant or operating machinery. Murthy emphasized the need for updates to reflect modern research.
Congress will ultimately decide whether to revise the labels.