Some industry experts are skeptical that the recommendation of US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for cancer warning labels on alcohol will gain traction in the short term, and one expert suggests that if it happens, it could take years to implement.

Dr Vivek Murthy, whose term ends at the end of January, issued a warning outlining the direct link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of several cancers including throat, liver, esophagus, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectum. cancers

Their advisory stated that alcohol is the third preventable cause of cancer in the US, contributing to approx 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths each year. He also stated that updating the health warning labels on alcoholic beverages is “an important step in the prevention of alcohol-related cancer.”

Dr. David Shaker of the New Jersey-based Shaker Medical Group told FOX Business that “there’s no way anyone knows what’s going to happen, but drawing on history from similar issues is the best way to see the future.”

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As an example, he cited the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, which officially declared smoking to be the leading cause of lung cancer and other serious diseases. In 1965, the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965 mandated health warning labels on cigarette packages beginning in 1966.

The opening warning read: “Caution: Smoking cigarettes can be dangerous to your health.

Peter Pitts, former associate commissioner of the FDA and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, believes that labeling alcohol products could take years, if at all, because of the inherently slow pace of adoption. of government decisions.

However, Pitts stressed that treading carefully, especially in a claim of this magnitude, is essential, stating that “jumping to conclusions is never a good thing.” He is also skeptical about the timing of the report and calls for more research. He called Murthy’s decision to wait until the end of his term to make such an announcement “very peculiar”.

Murthy, who will step down on January 20, will be replaced later The inauguration of President-elect Trump.

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“If the data has been around for so long, and if the data is so overwhelmingly clear, why wait until you’re packing your boxes to leave your office to make this kind of aggressive announcement?” Pitts said. “I want to understand why now versus three years ago when the administration could have really actively put the full weight of their time in office.”

A bartender pours a beer on tap at Signature Brew in east London on August 19, 2022. (HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Pitts said the current administration could “have spent more time and more effort and spent more political capital to push through such a dramatic proposal as labeling alcoholic beverages as a possible cause of cancer.”

It advocates for new studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“When these studies come in, we can really look at the data and understand what it’s saying,” he said. “Then we can step back and say, how can we counsel Americans in relation to their own personal choices and the potential health risks that those choices now provide?”

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Officials at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH, emphasize the importance of counseling. NCI Director Dr. Kimryn Rathmell said in a recent statement that “Counseling about alcohol use and cancer risk is important for everyone, especially for those at increased risk of cancer due to family history or other factors.”

Bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label and Double Black Blended Scotch Whiskey go on sale on January 31, 2024 in Leigh on Sea, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images/Getty Images)

Still, Rathmell told FOX Business that the NCI is “continuing to do research, so we can provide clearer guidance on how people can personally manage their risk.”

“NCI will continue to disseminate research findings on alcohol consumption and cancer risk as policymakers consider the use of product labeling,” he said, adding that “knowing the personal risks of alcohol consumption is valuable for people making personal lifestyle decisions” and that “ensuring the community has credible information about a risk factor under our control is important to prevent cancer” .

The most important thing is to “give people information so they can make personal decisions and discuss them with their doctor,” added Rathmell.