In the United States, pressure is increasing to raise public awareness of the health risks caused by alcohol consumption. A new report published by the head of public health services in the US, Dr Vivek Murthy, indicates a direct link between drinking alcohol and the development of seven different types of cancer, including breast, colon, liver and mouth cancer. The report calls for new warnings to be added to alcoholic beverage labels to highlight the link between alcohol and cancer risk.
According to the data presented in the report, in the United States every year about 100,000 cases of cancer related to alcohol consumption are discovered, and about 20,000 cancer deaths are caused by this. Alcohol is defined as the third most important cause of cancer, after smoking and obesity. The connection to breast cancer is particularly striking: about 16.4% of all breast cancer cases were linked to alcohol consumption.
Despite the existing research, Dr. Murthy warns that most Americans are unaware of the link between alcohol and cancer risk. “Less alcohol consumption means less cancer risk,” Murthy said, adding that there is no “magic” amount of alcohol that can be considered completely safe.
Today, alcoholic beverages in the United States carry a general warning about the risks of their consumption, such as their harmful effect on pregnant women and the risk of harm while driving. However, these warnings do not address the risk of cancer. Many professional groups, including the American Medical Association, welcome the proposal to add explicit warnings about the link between alcohol and cancer. In Israel there is no labeling obligation on alcoholic beverages that warn of the health risks of their consumption.
The connection between alcohol and cancer is manifested in several ways, including damage to the hereditary material DNA and changes in hormone levels. Women are particularly sensitive to the effects of alcohol, as their bodies process it differently than men. Women may develop toxicity even at a lower consumption compared to men. The study also shows that the rate of deaths caused by alcohol among women has increased significantly in recent years.
Current U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend moderate alcohol consumption, defined as one drink per day for women and two for men. However, the new study highlights that even within these limits there is an increased risk of cancer. Dr. Murthy called for a reexamination of these limits, especially in light of The increase in awareness of the risk of cancer caused by drinking alcohol.
Changing the beverage labels requires congressional approval, but experts believe that adding warnings about cancer risk will lead to increased public awareness and improved overall health. In addition, a new report on behalf of the United States Department of Health and Human Services is expected to be published soon and serve as a basis for updating the dietary guidelines for 2025.