Alcohol should have cancer warning label: Top US Surgeon General calls for action – Times of India
WASHINGTON (AP) — On Friday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed adding clear cancer risk warning labels on alcoholic beverages. This advisory comes as growing research highlights alcohol’s significant role in causing cancer. However, implementing these labels would require approval from Congress, a rare and challenging step.
Murthy emphasized that Americans need to know the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Over the past decade, nearly one million preventable cancer cases in the U.S. were tied to alcohol. Annually, about 20,000 people die from alcohol-related cancers.
While current labels warn against drinking during pregnancy and impaired driving, they don’t mention the cancer risks. Murthy believes this gap needs urgent attention.
Dr. Timothy Naimi, head of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, highlighted the lack of transparency. “It’s pretty crazy that there’s a lot more information on a can of peas than on a bottle of whiskey,” he said.
Studies show alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including liver, breast, and throat cancer. The risk rises with higher consumption levels.
Murthy shared on X, formerly Twitter, “Cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol. Less is better when it comes to cancer risk.”
This proposal marks a significant public health push, aiming to make consumers more aware of the hidden dangers associated with alcohol consumption. Whether Congress will act on this recommendation remains to be seen.
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