U.S. Surgeon General Calls For Alcohol Labels To Include Cancer Warning
January 3, 2025With the drinks industry already facing an uncertain outlook heading into the new year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has dealt the business another potential blow, with an advisory this morning asserting a causal link between alcohol and heightened cancer risk. He’s urging that beverage alcohol labels carry cancer warnings moving forward, and says official guidance for alcohol consumption should be revisited.
“Today, I’m releasing a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the causal link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk,” Murthy announced on X. “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. 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.”
Murthy added that health warning labels are “well-established and effective approaches to increasing awareness of health hazards and fostering behavior change,” noting “promising evidence toward their role in raising awareness about alcohol-related risks.” But he acknowledged that responsibility for mandating such labels lies with Congress.
Still, the advisory hit shares of alcohol companies this morning, with Constellation down 1.5% in pre-market trading, Diageo down 2.6%, and Anheuser-Busch InBev falling 1.9%. Pernod Ricard’s stock slipped 3% in Europe.
The surgeon general’s advisory comes as the industry is already closely watching the debate around updating the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which happens every five years and is due in 2025. Last month, advisors for the U.S. Dietary Guidelines found that moderate alcohol drinkers have lower all-cause mortality than nondrinkers. But a second such report will also influence the guidelines. That second study is being conducted by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), staffed by a group of researchers with ties to anti-alcohol advocacy groups, and is expected shortly.
Murthy’s announcement comes as the U.S. administration will turn over in the coming days, leaving any concrete policy changes up in the air for the time-being. Incoming president Donald Trump, set to take office January 20, has selected physician Janette Nesheiwat as his pick to succeed Murthy as surgeon general.—Daniel Marsteller
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