US Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol

The ’majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,' Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy speaks during the U.S. Conference of Mayors 91st Winter Meeting in Washington on Jan. 18, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Outgoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on Friday that alcohol consumption could lead to a risk of developing cancer, calling for an updated warning label on alcoholic drinks.

“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 U.S.—yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” he said in a statement.