Many Americans participate in dry January, a month of abstaining from alcohol after the holidays. Last week, we wrote about the ways it can help the body. Alcohol consumption is a personal choice that people get passionate about, both for and against. We like to look at the science side of it. Plus, we occasionally share low-carb cocktails and mocktails to help everyone enjoy parties in a way that fits their lifestyle.
Amid dry January, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed that alcohol should be labeled with a cancer warning. More and more evidence shows that alcohol harms human health. However, the label would require Congressional approval.
Around 20,000 people die from alcohol-related cancers every year. Over the last decade, alcohol has contributed to almost one million cases of preventable cancer in the U.S.
Almost 40 years ago, the warning label was added on alcohol that pregnant women should not drink and that drinking and driving is dangerous. No updates have happened since then.
“It’s pretty crazy that there’s a lot more information on a can of peas than on a bottle of whiskey,” said Dr. Timothy Naimi, who directs the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the Univ. of Victoria in British Columbia. “Consumers have the right to basic information about health risks, serving size and drinks per container.”
People are more aware of the health risk than ever before. According to a poll, 45 percent of Americans believe having one or more alcoholic drinks daily is bad for health. That is higher than ever before.
Bar owners say they have moved with the times and expanded their mocktail menus to ensure there are drinks to meet everyone’s tastes. And many alcohol lines are bringing out non-alcoholic versions of their drinks.
“If an alcohol company isn’t planning for three years from now, and if that alcohol company isn’t planning for a non-alcoholic option, what are they doing?” said Joshua James, who owns an alcohol-free bar. “We’re not talking about this fly-by-night trend. We’re talking about a sea change.”
Doctors say a lot more research needs to be done on cancer and alcohol. Alcohol contributes to cancer risk, but it’s not a one-for-one correlation. There is also the question of how many drinks a person has versus how often a person drinks.
“What we can say right now is whatever your drinking habits are, cutting down will reduce your risk,” said Dr. Jane Figueiredo, an epidemiologist at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Trying to add a cancer warning label to alcohol will most likely face backlash from the beverage industry. The industry spends almost $30 million yearly lobbying Congress. That makes it seem unlikely that a label will happen soon. But, keeping all this information in mind, if you currently are participating in dry January, a dry February might be looking good.
