Why the U.S. Surgeon General Is Calling for Harsher Cancer Warnings on Alcohol Bottles

The U.S. surgeon general wants to make a major change to the way alcohol is sold across the nation. 

On Friday, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, released a new advisory on the link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancer, recommending a change to the existing warning label on alcoholic beverages, which hasn't been updated since 1988.

“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 shared in a press release. “This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”

This would add to the current labels, which warn against the hazards of drinking while pregnant and state that “consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.”

The advisory noted, the link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancer is “well-established” for several types of cancers. It specifically noted that 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are “attributable to alcohol consumption,” while those who drink alcohol are also at risk for colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, and voice box cancers. This is supported by data presented in the 2024 Cancer Progress Report by the American Association for Cancer Research. 

And it's not just a bigger risk for heavy drinkers. “For certain cancers, like 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 advisory states. “An individual's risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is determined by a complex interaction of biological, environmental, social, and economic factors.” 

As the New York Times reported, only Congress has the power to mandate new warning labels. The paper noted that while it's unclear if the incoming administration would support this move, it wouldn't be out of character, as President-elect Trump has never been a drinker (nor has outgoing President Biden). 

The current guidelines by the USDA state that “drinking less alcohol is better for health than drinking more. Individuals who do not drink alcohol should not start drinking for any reason.” But note that if you are over 21, you should limit yourself to two drinks or fewer in a day if you're a man and one drink or less in a day if you're a woman. Still, to Murthy, that isn't far enough. 

“Many people out there assume that as long as they’re drinking at the limits or below the limits of current guidelines of one a day for women and two for men, that there is no risk to their health or well-being,” Murthy shared with The Times. “The data does not bear that out for cancer risk.”