US Surgeon General Warns of Link Between Drinking and Cancer Risk
The US Surgeon General has issued an advisory warning that drinking can increase the risk of cancer, calling for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages. This warning is a powerful and official message from the top public health official in the US, and it aims to dispel the notion that moderate drinking is harmless.
According to the advisory, 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 US. This is higher than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year. The advisory notes that the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk.
The surgeon general’s advisory is based on the latest scientific evidence, which shows that even light drinking can increase the risk of cancer. The link between drinking and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box.
The advisory also notes that the risk of drinking and cancer is not specific to a particular type of alcohol, and it increases with greater consumption. The report highlights that even women who drink as little as one drink a day can increase their risk of developing cancer.
Doctors are welcome the new advisory, with some saying they are pleased to see the report’s emphasis on the dangers of drinking. A doctor at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, Dr. Brian P. Lee, said that the new report is more in tune with modern evidence and that even light drinking can cause harm.
The surgeon general’s advisory also calls for guideline limits for alcohol consumption to be assessed to account for cancer risk and seeks to raise awareness for individuals about the link to cancer risk as they decide whether and how much to drink. The advisory notes that health care providers can play a role in increasing awareness of the risks and that doctors and nurses can educate patients about the potential dangers of drinking.
The advisory is part of a broader effort to reduce the harmful effects of drinking. The American Medical Association, which has long recognized alcohol as a cancer risk, welcomed the new advisory, saying it would bolster awareness, improve health, and save lives.