Surgeon General calls for cancer warning labels on alcohol
FILE-Bottles of alcohol sit behind a bar in Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is proposing cancer warning labels on alcohol, similar to those on cigarette packs.
Murthy argues that alcohol, a leading cause of cancer, should have clear labels on the products consumed by Americans. His proposal comes amid growing research highlighting the harmful effects of alcohol on health.
To implement such labels, Murthy would need rare approval from Congress. He says Americans need better information, noting that alcohol has caused nearly one million preventable cancer cases in the U.S. over the last decade, with around 20,000 annual deaths tied to alcohol-related cancers.
Currently, some alcoholic beverages have warning labels about drinking during pregnancy and impaired driving. Murthy’s proposal would go further, raising awareness about cancer risks linked to alcohol.
He emphasizes that as alcohol consumption increases, so does the risk of developing cancer. "For individuals, be aware that cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol," Murthy wrote on X. "As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk."
Despite this advisory and increasing evidence of alcohol’s dangers, it's unlikely Congress will act quickly on this proposal. It’s been nearly four decades since Congress first approved a warning label on alcohol.
The beverage industry, which spends nearly $30 million annually lobbying Congress, would strongly oppose any new labeling measures. Recently, the federal government even declined to revise the dietary guidelines for alcohol, which currently suggest women limit themselves to one drink per day and men to two.