Surgeon general urges cancer warning on alcohol after linking it to 20,000 deaths a year

Alcohol consumption contributes to around 100,000 cases annually and is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the US

Alcoholic drinks should come with a cancer warning label after being linked to 20,000 deaths in the US each year, says U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

A new advisory released by the government on Friday states that alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the US.

The report noted that drinking alcohol increases the risk for at least seven types of cancer — including breast, mouth, and throat cancer — and contributes to around 100,000 cancer cases and approximately 20,000 associated deaths each year.

“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 U.S. — yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a Friday statement. “This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”

People toast with glasses of alcohol. A new report from the U.S Surgeon General says alcohol should come with updated health labels warning about links to cancer (Getty Images/iStock)

The direct link between consumption and cancer risk is “well-established” regardless of the type of alcohol consumed, with more than 16 percent of breast cancer cases attributable to drinking alcohol. The risk increases as consumption increases.

“For certain cancers, like breast, mouth, and throat cancers, evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day. An individual’s risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is determined by a complex interaction of biological, environmental, social, and economic factors,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

Current labels warn about drinking while pregnant or before driving and operating other machinery, and about general “health risks.” The label has not changed since it was created in 1988.

In addition to calling for an update to the existing Surgeon General’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include the cancer risk, the advisory calls for a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk. It also advises people to be aware of the risks when considering whether or how much to drink.

Public health professionals and groups are advised to highlight consumption as a leading modifiable cancer risk factor and strengthen and expand education efforts to increase general awareness.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks onstage during the Find Your Light Benefit Concert For Arts Education in New York City last October. Murthy says that less alcohol consumption is better when it comes to reducing the risk of cancer (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Find Your Light Foundation)

Furthermore, health care providers should inform patients in clinical settings about this link and promote the use of alcohol screening and treatment referrals as needed, the department said.

“I wish we had a magic cutoff we could tell people is safe,” Murthy told The New York Times. “What we do know is that less is better when it comes to reducing your cancer risk.”

“If an individual drinks occasionally for special events, or if you’re drinking a drink or two a week, your risk is likely to be significantly less than if you’re drinking every day,” he added.