On Friday, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new advisory urging Americans to be aware that alcohol consumption can raise their risk of cancer, and recommended updating health warning labels on alcoholic drinks.
"Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk," Murthy said in a statement.
The connection between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk is well-documented for at least seven types of cancer, including those affecting the breast, colorectal area, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx).
This risk remains consistent regardless of the alcohol consumed, such as beer, wine, or spirits. Specifically, alcohol consumption is linked to 16.4% of all breast cancer cases, the statement on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services read.
In the U.S., approximately 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths each year are attributed to alcohol. The risk of cancer rises with greater alcohol consumption. For some cancers, such as those of the breast, mouth, and throat, the risk begins to rise with as little as one drink per day. Biological, environmental, social, and economic factors influence an individual's risk.
A growing number of younger adults in the U.S. have started to recognize the health risks of drinking, with an August Gallup poll revealing that nearly half of Americans believe having one or two drinks a day is harmful to health – the highest percentage recorded in the survey's 23-year history. Younger adults were particularly likely to view drinking as detrimental to health.
In response, the Surgeon General's advisory recommends reassessing alcohol consumption guidelines to better reflect cancer risk, urging individuals to be more aware of the link between alcohol and cancer when making decisions about their drinking habits. Additionally, it calls for an updated warning label on alcoholic beverages that highlights the cancer risk, although this would require approval from Congress.
Dr. Vivek Murthy has previously issued advisories on a variety of public health topics, including firearm violence, loneliness and isolation, social media's impact on youth mental health, and the mental well-being of parents.
