Putting cancer warning signs on alcohol bottles could take years, experts say
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Some industry experts are skeptical that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s recommendation for alcohol cancer warning labels will gain traction in the short term, with one expert suggesting it could take years to implement if it happens.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, who will end his tenure at the end of January, has issued a recommendation detailing the direct link between alcohol consumption and the risk of many cancers, including those of the throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectum. Cancers.
According to his advice, alcohol is the 3rd leading preventable cause of cancer in the US, responsible for about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths. He also noted that updating health warning labels on alcoholic beverages is “an important next step in the prevention of alcohol-related cancer.”
Dr. David Shaker, of New Jersey-based Shaker Medical Group, told FOX Business, “There’s no way anyone knows what’s going to happen, but drawing on history for similar topics is the best way to predict the future.”
US Surgeon General’s new recommendation on alcohol linked to cancer risk
For example, in 2010, which officially announced that smoking is the main cause of lung cancer and other serious diseases. He cited the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. In the year The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965
The first warning reads: “Caution: Smoking can be dangerous to your health.
Peter Pitts, a former FDA commissioner and founder of the Center for Medicines in the Public Interest, believes that if labels are placed on alcohol products, they could take years off the natural occurrence. Slow pace of government decision making.
However, Pitts emphasized that it is important to proceed with caution, especially with a claim of this magnitude, “It is never a good thing to jump to conclusions.” He is also skeptical about the timing of the report and advocates for further research. He described Murthy’s decision to wait until the end of his tenure to make such an announcement as “very special”.
Murthy, who will step down on January 20, will succeed President-elect Trump following his appointment.
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“If the information has been around for so long and the information is so clear, why wait until he’s packed his boxes to leave the office to make this powerful announcement?” Pitts said. “I want to understand why now, when three years ago the administration could have actively invested the entire time in power.”
A bartender pours a beer from a tap at Signature Beer Brewery in East London on August 19, 2022. (HOLLIE ADMS/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Pitts said the current administration could have spent more time and more effort and more political capital moving forward with such an impressive idea as labeling alcohol as a possible cause of cancer.
Funding for new research is advocated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of eleven agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“When those studies come in, we’ll really look at the data and understand what it says,” he said. “Then how can we take a step back and counsel Americans about their personal choices and the health risks those choices may now present?”
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Officials at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH, emphasize the importance of the mentor. The N.I.I. “Advice about alcohol use and cancer risk is important for everyone to hear, especially for people who have a family history or other risk factors for cancer,” director Dr. Kimrin Rathmell said in a recent statement.
Bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Double Dark Blend Scotch Whiskey went on sale on January 31, 2024 in League on Sea, England. (Photo by John Cable/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Still, Rathmell told FOX Business, the NCI “continues to do research so we can provide clearer guidance to individuals on how to manage their personal risk.”
NCI will continue to disseminate research findings on alcohol use and cancer risk as policymakers consider the use of product labels, he said. The community is aware of reliable information about the importance of cancer prevention for a risk factor within our control.
The most important thing is to “arm people with information so they can make personal decisions and talk to their doctor,” Rathmell added.
