INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued an advisory highlighting alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of cancer, behind tobacco and obesity. He is calling for updates to the Surgeon General’s warning label on alcohol, detailing the causal link between alcohol consumption and cancer, but such a warning would require congressional approval.

How significant is the link between drinking and cancer?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen — alongside tobacco, asbestos, and formaldehyde, among others — the highest level of classification for when “there is enough evidence to conclude that it can cause cancer in humans”.

Each year, alcohol use contributes to nearly 100,000 preventable cancer cases in the U.S. and about 20,000 people die every year from those alcohol-related cancer cases, more than alcohol related fatal car crashes (13,500 annually).

Globally, in 2020, over 700,000 cases of cancer were related to alcohol use and almost 200,000 were associated with drinking 2 drinks or less per day. Canada, South Korea and Ireland are already issuing nationwide labeling detailing the link between alcohol use and cancer.

Which types of cancer are caused by drinking alcohol?

Consuming alcohol raises the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer, including breast cancer in women, oral (mouth), pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus (food pipe), liver and colorectum.

What is a safe amount of alcoholic drinks per week?

The current Dietary Guidelines of America recommend two or fewer drinks per day for men age 21 and older and one or fewer drinks for women age 21 and older.

However, ongoing research is showing that we cannot continue to safely recommend this amount. Research is showing that for one or fewer drinks, a person may have an increased risk of breast, mouth and throat cancer.

The Dietary Guidelines of America are updated every five years, influencing policy, funding and programming that shapes how we eat and drink in this country. The updated guidelines should be released later this year.

For the interim, it is important to understand what constitutes “one drink”.

A standard drink contains 14 grams of alcohol:

• 12 oz of beer (5% alcohol)
• 5 oz of wine (12% alcohol)
• 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (40% alcohol)

Who should not drink alcohol at all?

• Anyone younger than the legal drinking age
• People who are pregnant
• People who are recovering from an alcohol use disorder or are unable to control the amount they drink
• People who have certain medical conditions or are taking certain medications that can interact with alcohol

What alternative drinks exist for those interested in taking part in Dry January?

There are more and more alternative drinks on store shelves and served in restaurants. Food & Wine magazine recommends 14 nonalcoholic drinks and Visit Indy shares local places to get “buzz-free drinks”.

It is important to understand the difference between drinks that are nonalcoholic to “alcohol-free”, “low-alcohol” and in-between. Be sure to read the labels as some alternatives do actually contain small amounts of alcohol, which would not be advisable for those listed in the section above. Also, some alternatives contain vitamins, botanicals, caffeine and loads of sugar.