Your favorite glass of wine may soon come with a health warning. The U.S. surgeon general is urging Congress to update alcohol labels with a cancer risk warning.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a stark advisory Friday, Jan. 3, warning that alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer. These include cancers of the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, and even breast cancer, which many women may not associate with alcohol use.
The advisory highlights that consuming just two drinks per day can lead to four additional cases of breast cancer per 100 women.
Murthy also noted that alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable cancer in the U.S.
Surgeon general pushes for label changes
Currently, beer, wine and liquor labels include warnings about drinking during pregnancy and while driving. Murthy believes that adding cancer warnings could increase public awareness and change behavior.
The advisory states, “Health warning labels are well-established and effective approaches to increasing awareness of health hazards and fostering behavior change.”
The advisory pointed to 47 countries that already require health and safety warnings on alcohol labels. South Korea stands out for requiring cancer-specific warnings on its alcohol products.
In a post on X, Murthy urged Congress to authorize updates to surgeon general warning labels to include cancer risks.
He emphasized that when it comes to reducing cancer risk, “less is best.”
