Surgeon general calls for cancer warnings on alcohol

Alcoholic beverages should carry a prominent warning label about the link between alcohol and cancer, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday.

Alcohol consumption is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in a statement, but most individuals are unaware of the connection. It can increase the risk for at least seven types of cancer.

“Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk from alcohol consumption and the Office of the Surgeon General’s responsibility to inform the American public of the best available scientific evidence, the Surgeon General recommends an update to the Surgeon General’s warning label for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning,” Murthy said in the advisory.

There are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually, Murthy warned, and cancer risk increases as alcohol consumption increases.

“Higher alcohol consumption increases alcohol-related cancer risk, yet only 45% of American adults are aware that consuming alcohol increases their risk of developing cancer,” Murthy wrote on the social platform X.

For certain cancers — including breast, mouth and throat cancers — evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day.

The decision to update the current warning label ultimately will be made by Congress, and it’s not clear if the Trump administration would support such a move. Trump has tapped Janette Nesheiwat, a family and emergency medicine physician and onetime Fox News contributor, as his pick for surgeon general.

Trump says he does not drink alcohol, citing the death of his brother from alcoholism, but he has not spoken out against it. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his pick for Health and Human Services Secretary, has publicly shared his own struggles with alcohol and his belief in the benefits of a 12-step program.

“For decades, I’ve maintained my sobriety by regularly participating in the sobriety of others and attending AA meetings,” Kennedy wrote on X.

The advisory comes amid a major debate in the scientific community about how much alcohol consumption is safe for adults, and ahead of an update to the influential federal Dietary Guidelines.

The guidelines are updated every five years. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting intake to two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women, and that overall “drinking less is better for health than drinking more.”

For decades, the dominant view was that moderate levels of alcohol — especially red wine — were beneficial.

But evidence is mounting linking alcohol to increased risks of cancer, and health authorities are taking notice. For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there’s no risk-free level of alcohol consumption.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the WHO’s specialized cancer agency, classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen — alongside tobacco, asbestos, formaldehyde and others.

A report in December from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reignited that debate, while also demonstrating the nuances that may play a role in the alcohol intake portion of the dietary guidelines.

It concluded that moderate drinking may be associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, as well as all-cause mortality. Yet it also found moderate drinking was associated with a higher risk of certain cancers, mainly breast cancer in women.

The spirits industry pointed to that nuance in a statement Friday, noting that the federal government needs to look at the “entire body of scientific research” when proposing any warning label changes.

“The current health warning on alcohol products has long informed consumers about the potential risks of the consumption of alcohol. Many lifestyle choices carry potential risks, and it is the federal government’s role to determine any proposed changes to the warning statements based on the entire body of scientific research,” said Amanda Berger, senior vice president for science and research at the Distilled Spirits Council.

Berger said the Council doesn’t “recommend that anyone drink to achieve health benefits and urge all adults who choose to consume alcohol to consult their health provider to determine what is best for them.”

Labels currently printed on bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages warn about the dangers of drinking while pregnant or before driving and operating other machinery.

The language has not been updated since its inception in 1988, Murthy said.

Surgeon General’s Advisories are public statements that call the American people’s attention to a critical public health issue. Murthy has advisories on topics including firearm violence, loneliness and isolation and social media, as well as the mental health of parents and young people.

Updated at 5:05 p.m.