Chicago doctor applauds Surgeon General's call for cancer risk warning on alcohol
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A warning from the country's top doctor about alcohol's cancer risk comes at a time of year when many are already taking a step back from drinking, and a top Illinois doctor is praising the Surgeon General for speaking out.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued an advisory calling for a warning about the risk of cancer to be included on alcoholic beverages.
That new report says alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of cancer behind smoking and obesity, and with Dry Janaury in full swing, this report could actually benefit some in the spirits industry.
As the challenge of quitting alcohol for the month of January increasingly grows in popularity, even before the surgeon general's warning, experts said they expected to see even more people reassessing their relationship to alcohol and going sober for the month.
At bottle shop and bar In Good Spirits in the West Loop in Chicago, customers will find only non-alcoholic beers, wine, and cocktails on the menu.
In Good Spirits co-founder Hector Diaz stopped drinking alcohol and was inspired to open the bottle shop after his kidney cancer diagnosis at just 31 years old.
"When I went through my cancer journey, to decide and consider that alcohol could have played part in it allowed me to make that personal decision to take a break from it," he said.
In calling for warning labels on alcohol to include warning of cancer risks, the Surgeon General cited a direct link between alcohol and at least six types of cancer:
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Liver cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Certain types of head and neck cancer
- Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, president and CEO of Sinai Chicago Health System and former director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, applauded the Surgeon General for highlighting alcohol's cancer risks.
"I think it's an important attempt so no one can say that they just didn't know," she said. "I know, once upon a time, I heard that maybe some red wine is good for your heart, but the recent conversations that I have had with cardiologists, people are saying pretty universally that alcohol is a toxin. It's a cardiotoxin."
Alcohol interest groups are not toasting to the report. Instead they encourage drinking in moderation.
"The Brewers Association and small and independent breweries support the responsible and moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. Adults of legal drinking age should be mindful of the amount of alcohol they are consuming and ensure that they are making what is the best decision for themselves based on their lifestyle and family health history," The Brewers Association – a trade group for craft brewers – said in a statement.
But Diaz said the Surgeon General's report is just more evidence to support his belief in the benefits of the non-alcoholic beverage movement
"It came out during a time where Dry January is becoming just a bigger moment," he said. "It makes sense, because it's something we believe in terms of how you want to live your day-to-day life."
The Surgeon General's advisory comes as the government is in the process of updating dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol. The current guidelines recommend women have one drink or fewer per day while men should stick to two or fewer.
Any changes to the required warning labels on alcohol would require an act of Congress.
