US Surgeon General warns towards cancer risk with alcohol consumption

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new advisory just came out from the U.S. Surgeon General. It calls for updated health warning labels on alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of certain cancers.

Alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the country, according to the new advisory. Tobacco and obesity are the top two. The advisory notes that the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box. The risk remains despite what type of alcohol is consumed, and it increases with greater consumption.

Surgeon general's advisories are strong warnings meant to deliver clear messages about health risks.

"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 US, yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk," Vivek Murthy said in a statement.

MD Anderson's head of prevention, Dr. Ernest Hawk, joined Eyewitness News live. He said surveys show only 40 to 45% of the American public realizes the link between alcohol use and cancer.

"The key message is that no alcohol is best. If indeed you choose to use alcohol, use it in progressively lower levels, lower doses, and lower frequencies," Hawk said.

An updated warning label on alcoholic beverages would require approval from Congress. The currently required warning says women shouldn't drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol impairs the ability to drive or operate machinery, and it may cause health problems. It hasn't changed since its inception in 1988.

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