The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that even a small amount of alcohol consumed daily can lead to various types of cancer.
According to U.S. public health spokesman Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, drinking two glasses of alcohol daily increases the risk of seven types of cancer.
The Surgeon General also called for cancer warning labels to be placed on alcoholic products.
In a statement, General Murthy said, “Today, I am issuing a Surgeon General Advisory on the link between alcohol consumption and the increasing risk of cancer.”
He added that alcohol is the third leading cause of cancer in the U.S., and it can be controlled through effective measures.
The Surgeon General stated that alcohol consumption causes nearly 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths annually.
Types of cancer linked to alcohol consumption include mouth cancer, throat cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, and colon cancer. According to the Surgeon General, alcohol also affects DNA. He explained that alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, which damages DNA in various ways.
