U.S. surgeon general sounds alarm about link between alcohol and cancer – CTV
Jan. 3, 2025
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory Friday warning Americans that alcohol consumption can increase their cancer risk, and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a statement.
Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., the Surgeon General’s office said, after tobacco and obesity. It noted the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box. And the risk remains regardless of what type of alcohol is consumed, and increases with greater consumption.
