US surgeon general calls for alcohol-related cancer warnings
Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer and alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label like cigarette packs do, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday.It's the latest salvo in a heated debate over the risks and benefits of moderate drinking as the influential U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans are about to be updated. For decades it was said that drinking moderately helped prevent heart attacks and strokes. This perception has been incorporated into the dietary advice given to Americans. But growing research has linked alcohol consumption, sometimes even within recommended limits, to various types of cancer. Labels currently on bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages warn of drinking during pregnancy or before driving or operating other machinery, and of "health risks" in g...