U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently called for cancer warning labels on alcohol products due to the significant increase in the widely ignored association between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.

The move could symbolize a shift toward stricter tobacco-style regulations for the alcohol industry,

Murthy emphasized that alcohol consumption is linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast, stomach and liver cancer. Despite this, public awareness is worryingly low. “Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity,” Murthy’s office said.

Scientific studies underline the seriousness of the issue. Data show that drinking alcohol even in moderation increases the risk of cancer.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 100,000 cases of alcohol-related cancer and approximately 20,000 deaths from alcohol-related cancer in the US each year.

Alcohol is the third leading cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity.

For example, women who consume one alcoholic drink per day have a 5-9% higher risk of breast cancer than women who do not drink alcohol. Similarly, according to the National Cancer Institute, heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of liver and colon cancer by 2-3 times.

The advice also urges a reevaluation of US dietary guidelines, which currently recommend two drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women. Murthy emphasized that no type of alcoholic beverage – be it wine, beer or spirits – is safer than any other in terms of cancer risk.

This bold move aims to provide clear information to consumers, potentially leading to a change in public attitudes towards alcohol and health.

In 2020, alcohol was linked to 741,300 cancer cases worldwide, with moderate drinking being a significant contributor. Countries such as South Korea and Ireland have already imposed or plan to impose cancer warning labels on alcohol products.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)’s 2024 Cancer Progress Report identifies alcohol as the third leading risk factor for cancer, after obesity and smoking.

Alcohol consumption is linked to six major types of cancer:

• head and neck cancer
• esophageal cancer
• liver cancer
• breast cancer
• Colorectal or colon cancer
• stomach cancer

The report highlights that 40% of all cancer cases are linked to preventable factors, such as alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity.

According to Reuters, the US Surgeon General’s announcement has already hit the alcohol industry, with shares of major companies such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Heineken experiencing declines.

While the alcohol industry claims that moderate drinking can have health benefits, the Surgeon General emphasized that alcohol remains a significant cancer risk.

About 20% of cancer diagnoses in the US are linked to lifestyle factors, including excessive drinking, poor diet and physical inactivity.

According to Professor Justin Stebbing of Anglia Ruskin University, heavy drinking not only increases cancer risk, but it is often associated with obesity and low physical activity, which are also cancer risk factors.

Importantly, the type of alcohol—beer, wine or spirits—does not change the risk. The real issue lies in ethanol, a cancer-causing chemical present in all alcoholic beverages.

Although some studies suggest that red wine may have a protective effect on health, there is no solid evidence that it prevents cancer.

Research shows that reducing or quitting alcohol can reduce the risk of alcohol-related cancer by 8% and overall cancer risk by 4%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including common cancers like breast and bowel cancer. WHO stated that alcohol is a poisonous and addictive substance and no level of its consumption is considered completely safe.