United States Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has reignited a public health debate by proposing cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages.
Murthy’s proposal accompanied a new advisory (PDF) highlighting growing evidence linking alcohol consumption to several types of cancer.
Why is this call for warning labels significant, and what does the science say about the risks associated with drinking?
Why is the US surgeon general calling for cancer warnings on alcohol bottles now?
The current text-only alcohol warning labels, introduced in 1988, address pregnancy risks and impaired driving but fail to mention cancer risks.
Murthy argues these labels are outdated and insufficient given today’s understanding of alcohol’s health impact.
“For individuals, be aware that cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol,” Murthy wrote on Friday on the social media platform X. “As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk.”