Cancer Risks from Alcohol: US Surgeon General Urges Warning Labels on Beverages

In response to new research linking alcohol consumption to seven types of cancer, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for warning labels on alcoholic beverages, akin to those on cigarette packaging. This proposal highlights that many Americans are unaware of the risk, which contributes to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 related deaths each year in the United States.

The update to existing warning labels, which have remained unchanged since 1988, would require Congressional action. Murthy also emphasized the need to reassess recommended alcohol consumption limits and enhance public education on the cancer risks associated with alcohol.

Murthy pointed out that alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity. He stressed that the direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer is well-established for at least seven types of cancer, including breast (in women), liver, throat, mouth, larynx, oesophagus, and colon cancers, regardless of the type of alcohol consumed.

Cancer Risks from Alcohol: US Surgeon General Urges Warning Labels on Beverages

The report recommends that healthcare providers routinely screen for alcohol use and provide necessary treatment referrals. It also calls for expanding efforts to raise awareness about the link between alcohol and cancer.

Current US warning labels advise pregnant women to avoid alcohol due to the risk of birth defects and caution that alcohol impairs the ability to drive and operate machinery. However, many countries have introduced additional warnings to inform consumers about health risks. According to the World Health Organization's 2018 Global Status Report for Alcohol and Health, 47 countries mandated health warnings on alcohol, up from 31 in 2014.

Ireland will be the first country to require cancer-specific warnings on all alcoholic beverages starting in 2026. South Korea also mandates similar warnings.

In the US, changing the warning labels will require Congressional approval, and it is unclear whether the current administration will support the initiative. Countries worldwide are also revising their alcohol consumption guidelines based on new research indicating that no amount of alcohol is entirely safe.

Last year, Canada reduced its recommended alcohol intake from nearly two drinks per day to just two per week. The US guidelines advise a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one for women, while the UK recommends no more than 14 units of alcohol per week (equivalent to about six glasses of wine or pints of beer).

Following Murthy's announcement, shares of major US-listed alcoholic beverage companies, including Diageo, saw a decline of up to 4%.