US surgeon general calls for cancer warning labels on alcohol: What you should know

Alcoholic beverage warning labels should be expanded, like those on cigarettes, to include risks of cancer, the U.S. surgeon general announced Friday in a health advisory.

In the U.S., alcohol use contributes to “nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year,” according to the report from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

The advisory says alcohol consumption is “the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco and obesity.”

Alcoholic drinks have carried labels since 1988 that list dangers of drinking while pregnant, driving, operating machinery and other risks. The expanded, more explicit labels would resemble the ones on cigarette packs.

The surgeon general says such labels are effective. However, new warning labels on products must be approved by Congress.

Seven types of cancer linked to alcohol consumption

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It doesn't matter what alcohol you drink, the advisory says. Studies show a strong connection between alcohol and cancer, "regardless of the type of alcohol (e.g., beer, wine, and spirits)."

The advisory notes, however, that more research is needed to determine how consumption patterns – binge or non-binge drinking – may affect cancer risk.

It says more research is also needed to determine cancer risk for other organs, including:

• Skin
• Prostate
• Pancreas
• Stomach

Alcohol is already linked to liver damage

Excessive drinking can cause liver disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of liver damage can include a swollen abdomen, swollen legs, chronic fatigue and jaundice, the yellowing of the skin or eyes. 

Liver damage can be reduced if the person stops drinking. Here’s a look at the effects of alcohol on the body’s liver function:

Heavy drinking by generations

The amount of alcohol a person drinks over time is a crucial factor, the advisory says. The risk of cancer increases with the amount you consume. Drinking more means a higher risk.

The advisory says additional investigation is needed into how drinking at "specific ages and during certain developmental periods, such as in adolescence and older adulthood, may influence the risk of cancer."

A reassessment of the guidelines for alcohol consumption to account for risk of cancer is also needed, the advisory says, and people should be aware of the ties between drinking and increased cancer risk when considering whether they should drink or how much to drink.

CONTRIBUTING Natalie Neysa Alund

SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; Department of Health and Human Services; National Library of Medicine