Surgeon general calls for cancer warning on alcohol labels
A new report from the US surgeon general examines the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk, with the recommendation that an additional warning is added to the labels of products.
On 3 January, US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy released a new advisory report linking alcohol consumption and cancer risk. Based on the report, Murthy recommends that the health warning on alcohol products now include information about that risk.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer, yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said. “This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimise harm.”
As it reads currently, the surgeon general warning on labels advises women not to drink alcohol during pregnancy and that consumption of alcohol impairs the ability to drive a car or operate machinery. The warning label was last updated in 1988. Congress has the power to update it once more based on Murthy’s recommendation.
In addition to the updated health warning label, the report also calls for a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk. In the US, there are roughly 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually, the report claims.
Murthy said that alcohol consumption can increase the risk for seven types of cancer including cancers of the breast, colorectum, oesophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx). An individual’s risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is determined by a combination of biological, environmental, social and economic factors.
In response, trade body the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus) has pointed to a December 2024 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, which concluded that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower all-cause mortality compared to no consumption. The report also concluded that moderate consumption of alcohol leads to a higher risk of breast cancer compared with no consumption.
The Spirits Business has shared such reports in the past, linking moderate alcohol consumption to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia.
“The current health warning on alcohol products has long informed consumers about the potential risks of the consumption of alcohol,” Discus vice-president for science, Amanda Burger, said.
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