Alcohol is a significant contributor to cancer, and its risks should be prominently displayed on beverage labels, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated on Friday.

Murthy’s advisory highlights growing evidence of alcohol’s harmful effects on health, emphasizing the need for Americans to be more informed about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. According to the advisory, nearly 1 million preventable cancer cases in the U.S. over the past decade are attributed to alcohol, resulting in approximately 20,000 deaths annually.

Since 1988, alcoholic beverages have included warnings about the risks of birth defects from consumption during pregnancy. However, Murthy’s proposed labeling would extend these warnings to include cancer risks. Implementing such mandatory warnings would require congressional approval.

Research shows that drinking alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including liver, breast, and throat cancer. The advisory also underscores that the risk grows with higher levels of alcohol consumption and may begin to rise with even less than one daily drink.

Murthy shared on the social media platform X, “For individuals, be aware that cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol. As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk.”