Fri Jan 03 17:01:00 UTC 2025: ## Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages
**Washington, D.C. –** U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a stark advisory Friday urging the addition of cancer risk warnings to alcoholic beverage labels. The advisory highlights the significant link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of several cancers, including breast, colon, liver, esophageal, mouth, throat, and voice box cancers.
The Surgeon General’s office cites alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., contributing to approximately 100,000 new cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually. This surpasses the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities. The advisory emphasizes that this risk applies regardless of the type of alcoholic beverage consumed.
Dr. Murthy also called for a reassessment of existing alcohol consumption guidelines, suggesting that the cancer risk should be explicitly considered alongside existing warnings about birth defects and driving impairment. The advisory aims to empower consumers to make more informed choices about their alcohol consumption by providing a clearer understanding of the associated cancer risk.
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