WASHINGTON/LONDON, Jan 3 — Alcoholic drinks should carry a warning about cancer risks on their label, the United States (US) Surgeon General said on Friday in a move that could signal a shift towards more aggressive tobacco-style regulation for the sector.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colon and liver cancer, but most US consumers remain unaware of this.
Shares in European-listed liquor companies Diageo and Pernod Ricard were both down over three per cent, while beer makers Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev also slipped.
Shares of US-listed alcoholic beverage makers — Constellation Brands, Brown-Forman Corp and Molson Coors fell between one per cent and two per cent in early trading.
Murthy also called for the guidelines on alcohol consumption limits to be reassessed so that people can weigh the cancer risk when deciding whether or how much to drink, alongside current warnings on birth defects and impairments when operating machinery.
"Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity, increasing the risk for at least seven types of cancer," his office said in a statement accompanying the new report.
Diageo, Pernod, Heineken, AB InBev, as well as other beer and liquor makers and industry associations, did not immediately share comments.
The report added that alcohol is responsible for 100,000 US cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths each year, more than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash deaths.
In the US, there are about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually, according to the report.
Alcoholic beverages in the US currently carry a health warning label that advises pregnant women to not drink them and that their consumption impairs a person's ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
This label has not changed since its inception in 1988.
"The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer ... regardless of the type of alcohol (e.g., beer, wine, and spirits) that is consumed," the statement said, including cancers of the oesophagus, mouth, throat, and voice box.
The new report recommends healthcare providers should encourage alcohol screening and treatment referrals as needed, and efforts to increase general awareness should be expanded.
— Reuters
