U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls for update to alcohol warning labels to include cancer risk

Alcohol is the leading preventable cause of at least seven cancers, and health warning labels on beverages containing alcohol should be updated, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Friday.

In a new advisory, Murthy said the direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well established for at least seven types of cancer.

They include cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box — with 16.4% of total breast cancer cases attributable to alcohol consumption.

Alcohol contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year. That is greater than the 13,500 of alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities annually in the U.S., Murthy said.

He said the need for an update to health labels is necessary, as evidence found that from 2019 to 2020, 72% of U.S. adults reported they consumed one or more drinks per week, but less than half are aware of the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.

The label statement can only be changed through a vote by Congress, Murthy said.

The statement has remained unchanged since its inception in 1988.

“Despite clear evidence demonstrating the effect of alcohol consumption on cancer risk, there is a large gap in public understanding of the risk,” Friday’s advisory said.

Check back later for updates to this developing story.