US Surgeon General calls alcohol a ‘leading preventable cause of cancer’

US Surgeon General warns alcohol is a “leading preventable cause of cancer,” with risk of certain cancers increasing after one or fewer drinks per day

VIA CNN:

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on Friday issued a Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk.

“This advisory highlights alcohol use as a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year,” the advisory reads. “The more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of cancer.”

“For certain cancers, like breast, mouth, and throat cancers, evidence shows that this risk may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day.”

A Surgeon General’s Advisory “is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue and provides recommendations for how it should be addressed. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.”