Dr. Vivek Murthy’s report cites studies linking alcoholic beverages to at least seven malignancies, including breast cancer. But to add warning labels, Congress would have to act.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s office warns alcohol consumption is to blame for nearly one million preventable cancer cases in the U.S. over the last decade.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s call for cancer warnings on alcohol is being welcomed by some substance-misuse prevention advocates in New Hampshire. In an advisory issued last week, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called alcohol the “third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States,” contributing to around 20,000 cancer deaths each year.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recommends an update to the warning labels currently on alcohol — but it will take an act of Congress to make it happen.

After a season of holiday cheer and new year’s toasts, the U.S. Surgeon General is sounding the alarm on alcohol use. On Friday morning, Dr. Vivek Murthy released a 22-page advisory, issuing a warning on the link between alcohol use and cancer risk.

The American Medical Association applauded the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendation for a cancer warning to be issued on all alcoholic drinks as a welcomed development. The AMA, a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students,

Some perspective: Canada’s new guidelines define “low risk” as a one-in-1,000 chance of premature death owing to alcohol. Boosting consumption from two to six drinks a week raises the odds to one in 100. With walking, the lifetime risk of being run over in America is about 1 in 470.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday that two alcoholic drinks a day increases the risk for seven types of cancer, calling for cancer warning labels on alcohol. Emily Leeming, who researches the gut microbiome, has tricks to get more fermented foods in her diet, including using kefir in clever ways.

As cancer has been linked to alcohol use, per the surgeon general's new advisory, addiction experts offer helpful tips to cut back on drinking in a safe, healthy way.