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Earlier this year, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 21st U.S. surgeon general, released an advisory statement on the dangers of alcohol use and its link to the increased risk of cancer.
This is timely, as the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released a paper in February examining alcohol use in the United States. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 134.7 million people (47.5%) aged 12 and older reported that they drank alcohol in the past month.
Dr. Murthy’s advisory states that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in America after tobacco and obesity, contributing to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually. Citing that there is a growing body of evidence that points to alcohol holding a direct link with at least seven types of cancer; calling for an update on the surgeon general’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to now include cancer risk. The full advisory can be found by visiting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General..
To learn more about alcohol use in our state, find resources for making the healthiest choice when it comes to alcohol use, or get help with an alcohol use disorder, please check out these resources.
Alcohol Drug Council of North Carolina
Alcohol & the Public’s Health in North Carolina
NC DPH: IVP Branch: Alcohol Use and Related Harms
Talk It Up, Lock It Up
#PROOFALLIANCE #ALCOHOLANDPREGNANCY #PREVENTFASD #FASDMATTERS #FASDUNITED #FASDSUPPORT #NCFASDINFORMED #FASDHOPE #ALCOHOLAWARENESSMONTH
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