US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy made the recommendation in a new ‘Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk’ report, in which he outlined the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.
Published on 3 January 2025, Dr Murthy argued that warning labels should be made “more visible, prominent and effective in increasing awareness about cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption”.
Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity, while it has been found to increase the risk for at least seven types of cancer.
However, less than half of Americans view alcohol as a risk factor for cancer.
“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 U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Dr Murthy said.
“This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
In addition to calling for an update to the health warning labels on alcohol-containing beverages to now include cancer risk, the report calls for a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk.
Dr Murthy also advises that individuals become more aware of the relationship between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk when considering whether or how much to drink.
In the US, there are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths per year.
Cancer risk increases as alcohol consumption increases and for certain cancers, such as breast and throat cancers, evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may start to increase at around one or fewer drinks per day.
In the UK, it is not mandatory for alcoholic drink producers to include recommendations on alcohol limits, alcohol units per container and warnings about drinking while pregnant on product labels.
Nonetheless, such measures are advised by organisations like Drinkaware and many firms use the warnings on a voluntary basis.
