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The year 1965 was notable for many reasons. The Voting Rights Act gave all Americans an equal chance to cast a ballot, The Rolling Stones found a nice bit of “Satisfaction,” I was born and the federal government mandated that cigarette packaging include a warning that smoking cigarettes may be hazardous to your health.
Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 27, 1965, the Federal Cigarette Labeling & Advertising Act required a small print warning on the side of packs that said, “Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health.” The intent of the surgeon general’s warning was to educate consumers about smoking and hammer home its health risks, including lung cancer, coronary disease and pulmonary disease – not to mention acting stupid, having a hangover and possibly becoming an alcoholic.
Since then, I’ve made it through nearly six decades without ever becoming a cigarette smoker, and that warning played at least a small part in helping keep me away from something that only leads to death. Unfortunately, the warning came too late to save my beloved mother, who smoked for 50-plus years before passing away from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at only 67 years old.
Today, the federal government has its eye on another “sin” – alcohol. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for the United States to adopt cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages similar to the ones mandated for cigarettes. Axios reported that his decision falls in line with a 2023 warning from the World Health Organization about cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption.
While there’s growing evidence supporting abstinence from alcohol, U.S. guidelines still suggest moderate drinking is safe. The arguments over what to tell consumers will play out ahead of an anticipated new edition of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines due out later this year, according to The New York Times.
Interestingly, Murthy’s advisory came just weeks after the National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine – which helps inform the federal guidelines – issued a report that found moderate drinking may lessen the risk of dying or having hearts attacks and strokes compared with complete abstinence. While the National Academies found some increased risk for breast and colorectal cancer, they made no broader connection with most other cancers.
“It’s confusing for people,” said Jody Hoyos of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “Even all the guideline bodies have had difficulty over the past decades in coming to conclusions. But the connection between cancer risk and alcohol has been clear in the research.”
According to Murthy’s advisory, alcohol use is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity, and contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths annually. While that pales in comparison to the 480,000 people who die every year from cigarette smoking, it’s still a sizable number that deserves our attention.
Funny thing about alcohol is kids can’t wait to turn age 21 so they can have a drink legally, then spend many of their remaining years cutting back on usage. Few people on their death beds wish they had spent more time doing shots.
As statnews.com reported, the surgeon general is right – America does have a drinking problem. And alcohol’s “privileged status” keeps it safe from the scrutiny that tobacco and other harmful substances face; after all, it’s the “go-to social lubricant for any event, toasted at gatherings and seamlessly woven into the fabric of our day to days.”
At the same time, do we really need government hand-holding to let us know drinking could be harmful? Only the addicted might mistake a beer for a health drink. As USA Today wrote, “If overconsumption can lead to cancer, perhaps all foods – or anything with calories – should have the same warning label.”
Just where to draw the line on personal freedoms versus the public’s interest may be the defining debate of this day.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 828-837-5122 or email dbrown@cherokeescout.com.