Your Alcohol Bottles May Look Different Soon — And It Might Make You Drink Less

Many aren't aware of this health risk that comes with alcohol consumption. Experts are looking to change that through the packaging.

A few weeks ago, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced that he’s calling for alcohol bottles in the U.S. to carry a label that warns consumers about alcohol’s effect on cancer risk.

The labels are not yet a done deal and require approval from Congress (which is expected to be an uphill battle), but there is no doubt that research shows alcohol consumption does increase cancer risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer even categorizes alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest risk classification for a cancer-causing substance.

Though there is a lot of evidence about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer, it’s not common knowledge among those who drink, which is something the warning labels could help with.

“I find, typically, that when I’m working with patients or research participants for my studies, people kind of know, ‘I shouldn’t be drinking during pregnancy,’ ‘I shouldn’t drink and drive’ or ‘I know there’s impacts on the liver,’ but beyond that, I don’t find that the general public has a very good recognition of the other ill impacts that alcohol use can have,” said Emily Hartwell, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

This includes negative effects on digestive health, mental health and the immune system along with the cancer risk, Hartwell added.