Most people enjoy an occasional visit to their favorite bar or a glass of wine after a long day at work. But a new study by the U.S. surgeon general is providing warnings to all alcohol consumers... so you’ll want to pay close attention to this.
Dr. Vivek Murthy is now suggesting labels on alcoholic drinks should warn Americans about an increased risk of several cancers. Although the link between excessive drinking and cancer has long been documented and studied, now, doctors are warning against all amounts of alcohol consumption for U.S. adults.
For Black people, who have the highest death rate for cancer compared to any other group, according to the CDC, news of this report particularly hits home. The risk of developing cancer remains higher for Black Americans, so with a new documented risk in alcohol, it’s time we break down what you should know.
Which Cancers are Linked to Alcohol?
The surgeon general’s report said there are at least seven types of cancer linked to alcohol consumption. This includes breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver and mouth cancers, according to the report. In women, breast cancer is the leading cancer from alcohol consumption. In men, liver and colorectal cancers are the top cancers, according to the report.
Black women are almost 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women, according to the Office of Minority Health. And although Black men are more likely to die from prostate cancer than any other form of cancer, colon and stomach cancer remain pressing concerns for the community, according to the Office of Minority Health.
Interestingly enough, most Americans don’t know about the link between cancer and alcohol. “The more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of cancer,” according to the report. About 72 percent of adults in the U.S. say they drink at least one alcoholic beverage a week, and even that can increase your risk of developing cancer.
How Does Drinking Compare to Other Cancer Risks?
According to the report, alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S. Alcohol contributes to almost 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually.
The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies alcohol as a “Group 1” carcinogen, meaning hard evidence confirms alcohol can cause cancer in humans. Other carcinogens include tobacco, asbestos, and radiation. Because of this, Dr. Rotonya Carr, head of gastroenterology at the University of Washington, told NBC News people should be just as worried about alcohol as they are about smoking.
Particularly for Black folks, alcohol consumption is more likely to negatively affect us than white Americans, despite Black folks largely consuming alcohol less than their white counterparts, according to the National Library of Medicine.
How Much Alcohol is too Much?
Well, according to the World Health Organization, there’s no safe amount of alcohol consumption. When you drink and alcohol breaks down in your body, it can damage DNA and proteins which can allow cancer to develop.
Additionally, drinking can also change the body’s hormone levels making it easier to absorb other cancer agents like tobacco smoke. This means drinking more alcohol can increase your risk of other forms of cancer like breast cancer and throat cancer.
So if you want to start off your New Year the right way, it might be time to take drinking out of your celebration ritual completely. There’s no word on whether alcohol brands will begin labeling their products as a cancer risk yet, but maybe we’ll see differently in the future.