Top doctor calls for cancer warnings for alcohol as new research links it to SEVEN types of the disease

The US Surgeon General has called for warning labels on alcohol highlighting the link between booze and cancer.

Dr. Vivek Murthy today issued a new advisory recommending that all alcoholic drinks should carry a cigarette-style warning on the packaging.

He said research from other countries has shown that photos showing the health effects of smoking would work better for alcohol.

Alcohol is said to be one of the leading preventable causes of cancer in the US and is linked to nearly 100,000 cases of cancer and approximately 20,000 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, including breast, colon, liver and throat cancer.

Labels currently printed on bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages contain small text warning 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.

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 requirement into law to place a cancer warning label on alcoholic beverages from 2026. This label states: ‘There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers.’

The Surgeon General’s advisories are public statements intended to “draw the attention of the American people to a critical public health issue.”

Dr. Murthy does not have the authority to make policy changes himself, but his recommendations could influence hospitals, local and state health departments and other government agencies.

He emphasizes in his latest opinion: “The power to change the label statement lies with Congress.”

It is unclear whether a Republican-controlled Congress or the new Trump administration would support this move.

Trump is a known teetotaler, and his nominee for head of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is a former alcoholic who has supported calls for stricter regulations around another industry strongly linked to cancer: junk food.

In his advice, Dr. Murthy warned 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 begin 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.

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).

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.