WASHINGTON/LONDON: Alcoholic beverages must have warnings about cancer risks on labels, the US Surgeon General said Friday in a move that could signal a shift toward stronger regulation about tobacco for this sector.
said US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy ale 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 alcohol companies Diageo and Pernod Ricard both fell more than 3%, while beer makers Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev also fell.
Shares of U.S.-listed alcoholic beverage makers Constellation Brands Brown-Forman Corp and Molson Coors fell between 1% and 2% in early trading.
Murthy also called for a review of guidelines on alcohol consumption limits so that people can consider the risk of cancer when deciding how much to drink, alongside current warnings about birth defects and mental impairment. Reduced function when operating machinery.
“Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, behind tobacco and obesity, increasing the risk of developing cancer,” Murthy’s office said in a statement accompanying the new report. at least seven types of cancer.”
Diageo, Pernod, Heineken, AB InBev, as well as other brewers and industry associations, were not immediately available for comment.
It is responsible for 100,000 cancer cases in the US and 20,000 cancer deaths each year, more than the 13,500 deaths from alcohol-related traffic accidents.
According to reports, in the US, there are about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths every year.
Alcoholic beverages in the United States currently carry health warning labels advising pregnant women not to drink them and that consuming them will impair a person’s ability to drive or operate machinery.
This label has not changed since its inception in 1988.
The statement said: “A direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk has been clearly established for at least seven types of cancer… regardless of alcohol type (e.g. beer, wine and liquor). strong) is consumed”. esophagus, mouth, pharynx and voice box.
The new report recommends that health care providers encourage alcohol screening and treatment referrals when needed, and that general awareness efforts should be expanded.