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Some experts from the industry are skeptical that the recommendation of the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s cancer-warning labels on alcohol will become popular in the short term, and one expert suggests that if this happens, could take years to implement.
dr. Vivek Murthy, who ends his term at the end of January, issued advice highlighting the direct link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of several types of cancer, including cancer of the throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectum cancers.
Its advisory states that alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable cancer in the US, contributing approx 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths each year. It also said updating the health warning labels on alcoholic beverages was “an important next step for the prevention of alcohol-related cancer.”
dr. David Shaker, of New Jersey-based Shaker Medical Group, told FOX Business that “there’s no way for anyone to know what’s going to happen, but relying on the history of similar themes is the best way to look into the future.”
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As an example, he cited the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, which officially declared smoking to be the primary cause of lung cancer and other serious diseases. In 1965, the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965 mandated health warning labels on cigarette packages beginning in 1966.
The original warning read: “Caution: Cigarette smoking can be dangerous to your health.
Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, believes that if labels were to be placed on alcohol products, it could take years — if ever — because of the inherent slowness of government decision-making.
However, Pitts stressed that caution is key, especially when dealing with claims of this magnitude, saying that “jumping to conclusions is never a good thing.” He is also skeptical about the timing of the report and calls for further research. He described Murthy’s decision to wait until the end of his term to make such an announcement as “highly unusual”.
Murthy, who will step down on January 20, will be replaced thereafter Inauguration of President-elect Trump.
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“If the data has been around for so long and if the data is so clear, why is he waiting until he’s packed his boxes to leave his office to make this very aggressive kind of announcement?” Pitts said. “I want to understand why now versus three years ago when the administration could really actively put the full weight of their time in office.”
A bartender pours a beer from a tap, at Signature Brew, in East London, on August 19, 2022. (HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Pitts said the current administration could have “spent more time and invested more effort and spent more political capital moving a proposal as dramatic as labeling alcoholic beverages as a possible cause of cancer.”
He advocates for new studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“When those studies come in, we can really look at the data and understand what it’s saying,” he said. “Then we can take a step back and say, how can we counsel Americans in relation to their personal choices and the potential health risks that those choices now bring?”
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Officials at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH, emphasize the importance of counseling. Director of NCI dr. Kimryn Rathmell said in a recent statement that “counseling about alcohol use and cancer risk is important for everyone to hear, especially for those at increased risk of cancer due to family history or other factors.”
Bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Double Black Blended Scotch Whiskey are set for sale on January 31, 2024 in Leigh on Sea, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Still, Rathmell told FOX Business that the NCI is “continuing to do research, so we can offer clearer guidance on how individuals can personally manage their risk.”
“NCI will continue to disseminate research findings on alcohol use and cancer risk as policymakers consider the use of product labeling,” she said, adding that “knowing the personal risks of alcohol use is valuable for individuals making personal lifestyle decisions” and that ” ensuring that the community knows credible information about a risk factor that is within our control is important for cancer prevention.”
The most important thing is to “equip people with information so they can make personal decisions and discuss them with their doctor,” Rathmell added.
