Alcohol, cancer risk prompts warning from U.S. top doctor [Video]

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Friday warning Americans that alcohol consumption can increase their cancer risk and called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages.

Surgeon general’s advisories are strongly stated warnings meant to deliver clear messages about health risks. Advisories are uncommon and reserved for issues that need immediate awareness and action. They often become turning points in the nation’s health habits. A 1964 surgeon general’s report on smoking, for example, started to change the perception that cigarettes were benign.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

The new advisory may help do the same for drinking, which was once thought to be associated with some health benefits. The new report aims to dispel any notion that alcohol is harmless.

“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States …