US may add cancer warning on alcoholic drinks

Health risk warning labels at a test program in Yukon, Canada. Pic/AFP

The US surgeon general has issued an advisory calling for a warning about the risk of cancer to be included on alcoholic beverages. "Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk from alcohol consumption the surgeon general recommends an update to the surgeon general's warning label for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning," Dr Vivek Murthy said in the advisory on Friday. The advisory notes that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the country, after tobacco and obesity.

"Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 1,00,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the US - greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US - yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk," Murthy said. The advisory also says more than 7,40,000 cancer cases globally could be attributed to alcohol use in 2020.

Warning labels are currently required on alcoholic beverages to state that women who are pregnant should not drink alcohol due to birth defect risks. They must also state that "consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems." The warning label hasn't been updated since 1988, Murthy said.

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