As New Year's Eve revelers across the world clinked glasses and ordered rounds, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy was in the midst of delivering a grave message about alcohol, a drug that fits neatly into both our highest highs and lowest lows.

The U.S. Surgeon General is calling to add cancer warning labels to alcohol. In a recent advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to include a cancer risk warning in the warning labels on alcohol. He says alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., behind tobacco use and obesity.

A new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General states that regular alcohol consumption, even in moderation, can increase the risk of certain cancers. The new guidelines recommend that cancer warnings be placed on the labels of alcoholic beverages,

Public health professionals and providers have a role to play in increasing awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk, the U.S. Surgeon General said last week. | Providers should inform patients in clinical settings about cancer risk,

In a new Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy connects alcohol consumption to increased cancer risk and calls for updated warning labels on alcoholic beverages.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s call for cancer warnings on alcohol is being welcomed by some substance-misuse prevention advocates in New Hampshire. In an advisory issued last week, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called alcohol the “third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States,” contributing to around 20,000 cancer deaths each year.

UVA epidemiologist Kara Wiseman’s research was cited in the Surgeon General’s advisory on alcoholic consumption and cancer risk, released in the first week of January.