The US Surgeon General has warned that even a small amount of alcohol a day can cause multiple types of cancer.
US Public Health Spokesperson Surgeon General Vivek Murphy said that two glasses of alcohol a day increase the risk of seven types of cancer.
The Surgeon General also called for cancer warning labels on alcohol products.
General Murphy said in a statement on X that today I am issuing a Surgeon General Advisory on the link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancer.
He said that alcohol is the third leading cause of cancer in the United States that can be controlled with effective measures.
The Surgeon General said that alcohol consumption causes about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths each year.
Types of cancer linked to alcohol use include mouth cancer, throat cancer, vocal cord cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, and colon cancer. According to the Surgeon General, alcohol also affects DNA. He said that alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, which damages DNA in multiple ways.
