Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, recently released an advisory that calls for adding cancer warning labels to alcohol. The report said that alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity.

The U.S. Surgeon General is calling to add cancer warning labels to alcohol. In a recent advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to include a cancer risk warning in the warning labels on alcohol. He says alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., behind tobacco use and obesity.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s call for cancer warnings on alcohol is being welcomed by some substance-misuse prevention advocates in New Hampshire. In an advisory issued last week, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called alcohol the “third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States,” contributing to around 20,000 cancer deaths each year.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is calling for new warning labels on alcoholic drinks that inform consumers of the health risks — particularly an increased risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast cancer, liver cancer and colon cancer.

Alcohol is linked to seven types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, the surgeon general says, and new warning labels should reflect that.

There are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths each year, according to the new report.