It’s no secret that alcohol has very few health benefits.
But now, a Harvard researcher says even small amounts can lead to consequences. Anna Grumman is now calling for stronger warning labels to be placed on all alcohol products.
“We have increasing research showing that most Americans are not aware of some of the most serious harms of alcohol consumption, like cirrhosis of the liver,” said Grumman.
The Centers for Disease Control released new statistics indicating that alcohol consumption now accounts for about 140,000 deaths every year in the United States, and those numbers have been rising over the past 20 years.
Dr. Michael Curry is with Beth Israel Deaconess, a teaching hospital aligned with Harvard. He is also speaking about the unsettling trend.
“Unfortunately, this increase in cirrhosis, as well as deaths related to cirrhosis, is disproportionately seen in our younger adults between the ages of 25 to 34,” said Dr. Curry.
Cancer is another concern.
“Alcohol, first and foremost, can result in an increased risk of liver cancer,” said Dr. Curry. “There are approximately seven other cancers where alcohol has some effect. Also, we see an increase in breast cancer in women who have had histories of heavy alcohol intake.”
Grumman recently co-authored an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, calling for stronger warning labels on alochol.
Right now, alcoholic beverages contain a short blurb stating the dangers to pregnant woman and warn against operating heavy machinery.
“We have a large body of evidence from other domains like tobacco control, that when we move away from text only warnings that are small, and on the back of the package, to warnings with better designs that are large, that have pictures, that really boost their efficacy,” said Grumman.
Providing more information that empowers consumers is Grumman’s goal.
“The goal wouldn’t be to drive consumption to zero, it would be to present consumers with the information that currently most of us aren’t aware of, and to do it at the exact moment when we’re making a decision about whether to buy a product or consume a product, so it’s easily accessible.”
Alcohol-related health issues are an international issue. Dr. Curry says about three million deaths are linked to alcohol each year.
That represents about five percent of all deaths.
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