Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer, a risk that should be clearly labeled on drinks Americans consume, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed on Friday.
Americans should be better informed about the link between alcohol and cancer, in particular, Murthy argues in his advisory, noting alcohol consumption is to blame for nearly one million preventable cancer cases in the U.S. over the last decade. About 20,000 people die every year from those alcohol-related cancer cases, according to his advisory.
Consuming alcohol raises the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer diseases, including liver, breast and throat cancer, research has found. His advisory also notes that as a person’s alcohol consumption goes up, so does the risk for developing those illnesses.
It's serious but who cares?
Any effort to add a cancer warning label to alcohol would face significant push back from a well-funded and powerful beverage industry, which spends nearly $30 million every year lobbying Congress.
Here's one more article about 'binge drinking' and 'high-intensity drinking' to support Murthy's proposal. I'm not in Congress though.
I don't see any cut in alcohal consumption even when it has warning 'Cancer Risk'. Here in India every tobacco product comes with such warning printed at least on the 50% of the wrapper, the use of tobacco products has increased over the years. Yes, one more thing, more labels mean more cost as well.
What do you say?
Would you like to see such a labeling on your favourite bottle of rum, or any other type?