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U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for warning labels on alcoholic beverages, similar to cigarette labels, citing new research linking alcohol to seven types of cancer.
According to researchers, alcohol consumption increases the risks for breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box cancers, and it contributes to an estimated 20,000 cancer deaths a year.
Murthy has recommended new labels be more visible, including a warning about the increased risk of cancer, suggested limits for alcohol consumption, and an expansion of alcohol education efforts.
Current alcohol labels, warning against drinking while pregnant or before driving, haven’t been updated since 1988.