Surgeon general recommends putting warning labels on alcohol, citing cancer risk

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Friday recommended that Congress act to put warning labels on alcohol products and put out a report linking drinking to seven different cancers.

Dr. Murthy’s report linked alcohol consumption to a higher chance of developing mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, liver and colorectal cancers, as well as breast cancer in women.

According to the surgeon general’s report, alcohol is linked to nearly 100,000 cases of cancer in the U.S. each year, along with 20,000 deaths from cancer. It’s the third most common preventable cause of cancer in Americans behind tobacco usage and obesity.