Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, and alcoholic beverages should carry warning labels similar to those on cigarette packs, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Friday.

In an advisory released Friday, Dr. Murthy stated that alcohol use is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., following tobacco and obesity. The advisory is a public health statement aimed at raising awareness about the risks of alcohol consumption and offering recommendations for addressing the issue.

The advisory warns that consuming any type of alcohol—beer, wine, or spirits—raises the risk for at least seven types of cancer, including those of the breast (in women), colorectal, oesophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box (larynx).

"To help increase awareness of this link and reduce the risk of alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths, my advisory includes several recommendations; Congress should authorize an update to the Surgeon General’s warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning. The advisory also calls for a reassessment & revision of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for increased cancer risk. Public health professionals, community groups, and organizations can also help by strengthening and expanding education efforts to increase general awareness. Health care providers can also inform their patients and promote the use of alcohol screening and treatments," he wrote on X. 

Dr. Murthy further emphasized the importance of reducing alcohol consumption, noting that cancer risk rises with each additional drink. "As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk," he added.

The report also claims that "741,300 cancer cases globally were related to alcohol consumption in 2020; 185,100 of those cases were related to consumption of approximately two drinks daily or fewer."

Furthermore, it is indicated that alcohol use contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year. It also found that alcohol-related cancer deaths shorten the lives of those who die by an average of 15 years.

According to the advisory, the largest burden of alcohol-related cancer in the US is breast cancer in women, with an estimated 44,180 cases in 2019, marking 16.4% of the approximately 270,000 total breast cancer cases for women.