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Some industry experts are skeptical that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s recommendation for cancer warning labels on alcohol will gain traction in the short term, with one expert suggesting that if this happens, this implementation could take years.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, who ends his term at the end of January, published an opinion highlighting the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of several cancers, including throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectum. cancers.
Its advisory stated that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, contributing to approximately 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths each year. He also said updating warning labels on alcoholic beverages is “an important next step for alcohol-related cancer prevention.”
Dr. David Shaker, of New Jersey-based Shaker Medical Group, told FOX Business that there is “no way for anyone to know what is going to happen, but relying on the history of subjects similar is the best way to see the future.
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As an example, he cited the Surgeon General’s 1964 report on smoking and health, which officially declared smoking to be a leading cause of lung cancer and other serious illnesses. In 1965, the federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act mandated the labeling of health warnings on cigarette packages beginning in 1966.
The initial warning read: “Warning: Smoking cigarettes can be dangerous to your health.
Peter Pitts, former associate commissioner of the FDA and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, believes that if labels were to be placed on alcohol products, it could take years, if at all, due to the inherent nature of alcohol. the slowness of the government’s decision-making process.
However, Pitts stressed that it was essential to proceed with caution, especially when faced with a claim of such magnitude, stating that “jumping to conclusions is never a good thing.” He is also skeptical about the report’s release timeline and advocates further research. He called Murthy’s decision to wait until the end of his term to make such an announcement “very strange”.
Murthy, who will leave office on January 20, will be replaced after President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
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“If the data has been around for so long and is extremely clear, why is he waiting until he’s packed his bags to leave his office and make this type of very aggressive announcement?” » said Pitt. “I want to understand why now, compared to three years ago, when the administration could have actively devoted the full weight of its mandate.”
A bartender pours a beer from the tap, at the Signature Brew brewery in east London on August 19, 2022. (HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Pitts said the current administration could have “spent more time, expended more effort and devoted more political capital to advancing a proposal as dramatic as labeling alcoholic beverages as possible causes of cancer.”
He advocates for new studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of eleven agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“When these studies come in, we can really look at the data and understand what it says,” he said. “Then we can step back and ask ourselves, how can we advise Americans about their own personal choices and the possible health risks that those choices currently carry?”
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Officials at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is part of the NIH, emphasize the importance of this opinion. NCI Director Dr. Kimryn Rathmell said in a recent statement that “advice on alcohol consumption and cancer risk is important for everyone to hear, especially for people with increased risk of cancer due to family history or other factors.”
Bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Double Black blended Scotch whiskey are displayed for sale on January 31, 2024 in Leigh on Sea, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Rathmell nevertheless told FOX Business that the NCI “continues to do research, so we can offer clearer guidance on how individuals can personally manage their risks.”
“NCI will continue to disseminate research findings on alcohol consumption and cancer risk as policymakers consider the use of product labeling,” she said, adding that “know personal risks associated with alcohol consumption is valuable to individuals making personal lifestyle decisions” and that “ensuring that the community has credible information about a risk factor within our control is important to prevent cancer.
The most important thing is to “give people the information they need to make personal decisions and discuss them with their doctor,” Rathmell added.
