America’s top doctor has called for risk warnings on alcoholic drinks, similar to cigarette labels, following new research linking the drinks to seven types of cancer.
The advisory from US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy states that “the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk” which causes approximately 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 deaths per year in the United States.
It would take an act of Congress to change the existing warning labels, which have not been updated since 1988.
Mr. Murthy also called for reevaluating recommended limits for alcohol consumption and strengthening education efforts regarding alcoholic beverages and cancer.
The surgeon general, who is the federal government’s top public health spokesperson, said alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity.
“The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well established for at least seven types of cancer…regardless of the type of alcohol (beer, wine and spirits) consumed,” Mr. Murthy in a statement. statement.
This includes an increased risk of cancer of the breast (in women), throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx and colon.
The new report recommends that health care providers encourage alcohol screening and treatment referrals when necessary, and that efforts to increase general awareness be expanded.
Warning labels currently must state that pregnant women should not drink alcohol due to the risk of birth defects. It must also specify that “consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a vehicle or operate machines and may cause health problems”.
Share prices of U.S.-listed alcohol companies, including Diageo, the world’s largest spirits maker, fell as much as 4% after the announcement.
