U.S. Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Risk Labels on Alcohol

On most things that are dangerous to your health, you'll find a warning label that lets you know of the risks you are taking when consuming the product.

According to CNBC, the U.S. surgeon general has issued a new advisory warning about the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk, calling for a new label to be added to all alcoholic beverages in America.

It's not a widely known fact that alcohol can cause cancer like it is for cigarette smoke, but NBC News reports that alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable cancer in America, only behind obesity and tobacco use.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wants alcohol labels to be more visible and include a warning about the increased risk of cancer.

While most wouldn't bat an eye at this, mayhem ensued on Wall Street the moment the word came out. According to Yahoo Finance, moments after this announcement was made, alcoholic drink stocks began to fall rapidly.

Companies like Constellation Brands, owner of beer, liquor, and wine names including Modelo, Svedka, and Ruffino, dropped 2 percent.

Diageo, owner of liquor brands including Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, and Smirnoff, dropped 4 percent.

Brown Forman, owner of liquor brands including Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve, also dropped 4 percent.

Moving forward, alcohol might not play as major of a role in the younger generation's lives. According to a Gallop Survey in 2020, younger Americans are stepping farther away from alcohol, with many leaning into non-alcoholic alternatives.

Maybe that fact, coupled with the new warning labels, will help reduce the preventable deaths caused by alcohol each year here in America.