On Friday, 3rd January, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory warning that alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer and called for updated health warning labels on alcoholic beverages.
“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 US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a statement.
Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, according to the Surgeon General’s office.
The office also noted that the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, oesophageal, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box. The risk remains regardless of the type of alcohol consumed, and it increases with higher levels of consumption.
Growing evidence continues to highlight the health risks associated with alcohol, challenging the belief that certain types, such as red wine, may offer health benefits.
For cancers like breast, mouth, and throat, the risk can begin to develop with one or fewer drinks per day, the Surgeon General’s office added. It also noted that an individual’s cancer risk is influenced by various factors, including their biology and environment.
The advisory further calls for a reassessment of alcohol consumption guidelines to better account for cancer risk. It also aims to raise awareness about the link between alcohol and cancer as individuals decide whether and how much to drink.
Updating the warning labels on alcoholic beverages to reflect cancer risk would require approval from the U.S. Congress.
And we have a lot of alcoholics in Nigeria, hmmmm