01/06/2025
SO IMPORTANT to SHARE 🎙️ from the U.S. Surgeon General IG acct:
NEW: Today, I’m releasing a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the causal link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. Alcohol is the 3rd leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., contributing to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths each year.
Consuming any type of alcohol – beer, wine, or spirits – increases the risk for at least seven types of cancer, including cancers of the breast for women, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box (larynx).
Higher alcohol consumption increases alcohol-related cancer risk, yet only 45% of American adults are aware that consuming alcohol increases their risk of developing cancer.
To help increase awareness of this link and reduce the risk of alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths, my advisory includes several recommendations:
Congress should authorize an update to the Surgeon General’s warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning. The advisory also calls for a reassessment & revision of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for increased cancer risk.
Public health professionals, community groups, and organizations can also help by strengthening and expanding education efforts to increase general awareness. Health care providers can also inform their patients and promote the use of alcohol screening and treatments.
For individuals, be aware that cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol. As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk.
Learn more at surgeongeneral.gov/alcohol-cancer