The primary health agency in the United States requested on Friday (3) for alcoholic beverages to include warnings about their cancer-causing properties and recommended a reassessment of daily consumption limits due to related risks.
The connection between alcohol and cancer has been recognized since the 1980s, with growing evidence supporting it, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. However, this link is not emphasized in the required warning labels.
Alcohol is a well-known and preventable cause of cancer, leading to approximately 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths yearly in the United States, according to Murthy.
This number surpasses around 13,500 yearly fatalities in traffic accidents linked to alcohol use.
Most Americans are unaware of this danger, highlighting the immediate requirement for public awareness, he stated.
The existing warning label, established in 1988, states that women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy to prevent birth defects and warns about the impact of alcohol on driving, machinery operation, and health.
Murthy urged Congress to update the labels to incorporate information about cancer risk, a move already made by South Korea and Ireland.
Alcohol consumption raises the chances of developing seven different types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, liver, mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx. It accounts for 16.4% of all breast cancer cases.
Public understanding of the issue is lacking, as shown by a 2019 survey indicating that only 45% of Americans recognized alcohol as a cancer risk factor, in contrast to higher percentages for radiation, tobacco, asbestos exposure, and obesity.
The new report challenges the US food guidelines that suggest men should limit their daily alcohol intake to two drinks and women to one drink.
17% of alcohol-related cancer deaths happen within these limits, indicating a need for reassessment.
Healthcare providers also play a crucial role in educating patients about the dangers of alcohol, emphasizes the suggestion.
Alcohol plays a role in cancer development through four main ways: being converted into acetaldehyde, which impacts DNA; causing oxidative stress that harms DNA, proteins, and cells; altering hormone levels such as estrogens; and boosting the absorption of carcinogens, including those found in tobacco.