InnerAct Alliance and our prevention partners are committed to keeping our community informed about emerging drug news and sharing alerts to help prevent substance abuse and promote healthy choices. Last week on January 3, 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General's Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, outlining the direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer.
Alcohol consumption is now the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, increasing risk for at least seven types of cancer. While scientific evidence for this connection has been growing over the past few years, less than half of Americans recognize it as a risk factor for cancer. The Surgeon General's Advisory included a series of recommendations to increase awareness to help minimize alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths including updating the existing Surgeon General's health warning label on alcohol-containing 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 U.S. - greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic fatalities per year - yet the majority of Americans remain unaware of this risk." said Dr. Murthy. "This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness and minimize harm."
As illustrated in the graphic above, the direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well established for at least 7 types of cancer including cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx), regardless of the type of alcohol - beer, wine, and spirits - that is consumed. For breast cancer specifically, 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are attributable to alcohol consumption.
In the U.S., there are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually. Cancer risk increases as alcohol consumption increases. For certain cancers like breast, mouth, and throat cancers, evidence shows the risk of developing cancer may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day. An individual's risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is determined by a complex interaction of biological, environmental, social, and economic factors.
Surgeon General's Advisories are public statements that call the American people's attention to a critical public health issue. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation's immediate awareness and action.
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