Biden’s surgeon general calls for drastic change to alcohol in America due to growing cancer links
The US Surgeon General has called for drastic changes in alcohol awareness in America due to its worrying links to cancer.
Dr. Vivek Murthy says labels on alcohol should be updated as a matter of priority to include risks associated with cancer.
Labels currently printed on bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages warn of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy or before driving or operating other machinery.
Dr. However, Murthy says the label statement – which has remained unchanged since its introduction in 1988 – should be changed to warn about alcohol-related cancer risks.
Alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of cancer in the U.S., the advisories said, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year.
Research over the past forty years has shown a ‘causal link’ between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of at least seven different types of cancer.
The cancers that have been linked are the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice boxes.
Dr. Murthy says warning labels with pictures or with messages that change regularly have proven to be the most effective.
The US Surgeon General has called for drastic changes in alcohol awareness in America due to its worrying links to cancer
Looking to other countries for inspiration, his advice notes: ‘There are 47 countries that require alcohol warning labels regarding health and safety.
‘South Korea requires a cancer-specific warning, and spurred by existing evidence, Ireland has signed a new law to place a cancer warning label on alcoholic drinks from 2026.
‘This label says: ‘There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers.’
Although alcohol consumption has been linked to seven types of cancer, more research is needed into its potential effect on other sites such as the skin, prostate, pancreas and stomach.
As for consumption, the advice warns that the more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of cancer.
For certain cancers, such as breast, mouth and throat cancers, ‘the evidence shows that this risk may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day’.
And when it comes to the types of alcohol linked to an increased risk of cancer, experts say the link still exists “regardless of the type of alcohol (for example, beer, wine and spirits).”
As for how alcohol causes cancer, the advice says there are ‘four different ways’ alcohol works in the body.
First, alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde once consumed. Acetaldehyde is a substance that causes cancer by binding to and damaging DNA.
When DNA becomes damaged, a cell can grow out of control and create a cancerous tumor.
Dr. Vivek Murthy says alcohol labels should be updated as a priority to include risks linked to cancer
Second, alcohol generates “reactive oxygen species, which increase inflammation and can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids in the body through a process called oxidation.”
Third, alcohol changes hormone levels (including estrogen), which experts say may play a role in the development of breast cancer.
And finally, carcinogens from other sources, especially tobacco smoke particles, can dissolve in alcohol, making them easier to absorb into the body, increasing the risk of mouth and throat cancer.
In addition to the updated labeling, Dr. Murthy made a number of other recommendations, including reassessing the recommended limits for alcohol consumption.
Current U.S. dietary guidelines currently recommend that American men should consume no more than two alcoholic beverages per day and that women should consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.
It defined an alcoholic drink as a drink containing approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol, equivalent to one regular beer, one glass of wine or one shot of spirits.
For decades, studies suggested that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol had some benefit, which was thought to be related to its de-stressing effects.
But in recent years, research has gone in the other direction.
The new dietary guidelines will be published in 2026 and it is believed that Americans could soon be urged to drink no more than two bottles of beer or glasses of wine per week.
The guidelines will ultimately be signed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
These will be led by Donald Trump appointees, including Robert F. Kennedy Junior as HHS chief.
Both Donald Trump – a lifelong teetotaler – and Robert F. Kennedy Junior – a former addict – do not drink alcohol.
Sources close to RFK Jnr. say they think he supports the new guidelines, but they would like to see the evidence on which the recommendation is based.
More than 60 million Americans report binge drinking at least once a year, and on average, Americans who drink alcohol say they consume about four alcoholic drinks per week.
The National Cancer Institute says it is estimated that approximately 75,000 cancer cases are linked to alcohol each year, including cancers of the liver, head and neck, esophagus and colon.
The CDC says about 20,000 adults die from alcohol-related cancers every year.