Alcohol and cancer: US surgeon general sounds alarm about link

CNN — US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Friday warning Americans that alcohol consumption can increase their cancer risk and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages. “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,” Murthy said in a statement. Alcohol also depletes levels of important nutrients, such as B vitamins and folate, that help protect the body against cancer, said Dr. Shuji Ogino, a professor of epidemiology and pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Today’s advisory, coupled with a push to update the Surgeon General’s health warning label on alcoholic beverages, will bolster awareness, improve health, and save lives,” AMA President Dr. Bruce Scott said in a statement.