There is a common sense response to the Surgeon General’s warning about alcohol and cancer

As 2025 began, many Americans began their own the quest for a healthier year forward by committing to more exercise, a renewed focus on mental well-being, healthier eating and a “dry January” (ie, a month without drinking alcohol). Then US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released his latest advisory linking alcohol to an increased risk of cancer.

In particular, the advice highlighted the increased risk in the mouth, throat, esophagus, speech system, breasts (in women), liver, and colon and rectum. of cancer among those who consume any amount of alcohol. Furthermore, the report states that alcohol consumption leads to 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer-related deaths in the US each year, making it the third leading cause of preventable cancer after tobacco and obesity.

I believe many of us have long suspected alcohol is not necessarily “good” for us. But what I don’t think we knew—or perhaps didn’t want to fully acknowledge—was how bad it could be for our health. In fact, 60% of Americans say they are unaware of the link between alcohol and cancer. We hope this consultation begins the process of educating the public about this important health link.

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Since the advisory was released, Americans have asked numerous questions about what the government can do next, what the findings mean for them, and how they should consider the findings in their daily lives.

Here’s what you need to know and keep in mind.

How does alcohol cause cancer?

From a 30,000-foot view, alcohol damages your DNA, which increases your risk of cancer. This happens through several different mechanisms. For example, our DNA can be damaged by acetaldehyde, a toxic alcohol metabolite that breaks down in our bodies, or by the oxidative stress that alcohol causes.

Alcohol also changes the levels of hormones in our body, such as estrogen, which probably explains the association of alcohol with an increased risk of breast cancer. Not only does alcohol directly damage our DNA, it also increases the body’s absorption of cancer-causing chemicals or carcinogens. So, although we think that a glass of wine or beer has a calming or relaxing effect on our body, it – in fact – does the exact opposite, it causes inflammation.

What comes next?

Counseling lays the groundwork for action – by government, doctors and our fellow Americans.

Murthy suggests that the Surgeon General’s alcohol warning label be updated to clearly highlight the link between alcohol and cancer. Such a labeling change would require an act of Congress, and I believe it should be done quickly on a bipartisan basis. What’s one thing we can all rally behind? Reducing cancer among our families, friends and neighbors.

However, this is not a “silver bullet” strategy. While one study evaluating cigarette warning labels found that more comprehensive, larger, and more graphic labels better communicated the health risks of smoking to the public, another suggested that they had no real effect on smoking behavior.

So if we extrapolate what this might mean for the future impact of the updated Surgeon General’s warning label on alcohol, the effect might be nominal. Furthermore, it is important to note that this was a result despite the cancer risk being significantly higher for cigarettes than for alcohol when consumed in comparable amounts.

But updating the warning label is the start of the necessary education to raise public awareness and physician “buy-in,” which Murthy also points to as important “action items.” We need to work together to increase knowledge about the link between alcohol and cancer risk, not only in the media but also in more personal settings, such as doctors’ offices and throughout our local communities. A targeted strategy is needed to harness the potential of an educational program to reduce alcohol consumption.

Finally, we must always make sure that policy follows the latest, contemporary science. It’s okay not to know, but we need to be clear to the public when this is the case. For example, the current definition of moderate drinking (one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men [one drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor]) is relatively arbitrary and using it as a “scientific” guide can be misleading and confusing. As Murthy noted, we need to re-evaluate this definition of “department”.

What are some of the limits of what we know?

While current research overwhelmingly shows a link between alcohol consumption and cancer, the details of what we don’t know are also important. Evidence suggests that the risk of cancer is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed, meaning that if you drink more alcohol, the risk of cancer increases. This makes sense – alcohol is a toxin and the more toxins you put into your body, the worse you should feel.

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But is it only quantity that matters? Does the risk differ according to the “quality” of the alcohol (for example, natural or high-quality wine versus one with more additives) or type of alcohol? Is there a “safe” limit? What role does genetics play? Do other preventive measures, such as a healthy, clean diet and exercise, “offset” the cancer risk caused by alcohol consumption, and – if so – by how much?

These questions highlight only some of what we do not know, and it is important to note that they do not discredit the central fact that alcohol and cancer are directly linked. But what it does show is that more research is needed, especially to reduce some of the biases or confounding factors in the current data used to date. This ensures the availability of the most complete evidence to guide education and policy making.

From a 30,000-foot view, alcohol damages your DNA, which increases your risk of cancer.

So what does all this mean for you?

We must commend Murthy for bringing this information to the national spotlight. Information is empowering, and now – after reading this article – I am convinced that you can make better decisions about how much and how often you drink alcohol.

From my perspective, I firmly believe that moderation is key, and I will continue to emphasize this as a physician and follow this approach in my life. While many may stop drinking alcohol altogether after posting this advice, I urge everyone else to aim for moderation.

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Personally, I’ll still enjoy a social beer here or a glass of wine there. At the same time, however, I plan to reduce my alcohol consumption overall. It is an individual decision, and as a cancer survivor (testicular cancer) I still want to “live my life”.

Ultimately, I challenge all of us to take a step every day to be a little healthier – eat better, drink less, exercise more, and support our mental and spiritual health and well-being.

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The opinions, thoughts and ideas expressed in this article belong only to the author and not necessarily those of the employers or institutions with which he is associated.