The U.S. Surgeon General has recommended that alcoholic beverages should include labels warning consumers about the potential cancer risks, pointing out that drinking alcohol raises the likelihood of developing cancers such as breast, colon, and liver cancer, among others.
In an advisory released on Friday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy also suggested that the current guidelines on alcohol consumption be re-evaluated. He emphasized the importance of allowing individuals to consider the cancer risks when deciding whether to drink and how much, in addition to the existing warnings about birth defects and impairment when operating machinery.
“Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity, increasing risk for at least seven types of cancer,” the statement from Murthy’s office explained, accompanying the newly issued report.
Alcohol is responsible for approximately 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths annually in the U.S., a number surpassing the 13,500 fatalities from alcohol-related traffic accidents, the report noted.
“The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer … regardless of the type of alcohol (e.g., beer, wine, and spirits) that is consumed,” the statement continued, listing cancers of the esophagus, mouth, throat, and voice box as some of the affected types.
{Matzav.com}