DISCUS Statement in Response to Surgeon General’s Advisory
Statement Attributed to Dr. Amanda Berger, Distilled Spirits Council Senior Vice President, Science and Research:
The Surgeon General’s Advisory states it “is not an exhaustive review of the literature,” and that it did not review broader health outcomes. In contrast, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a comprehensive Consensus Report on alcohol and a range of health outcomes, including cancer.
The NASEM report concluded that, compared with never consuming alcohol, moderate alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but it did not find such associations for other types of cancer. The report also concluded that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease, compared to never consuming alcohol.
Many lifestyle choices carry potential risks and potential benefits, and the consumption of alcohol is no exception. Cancer is a complex disease. Studies have linked excessive drinking with an increased risk of certain types of cancer, and some have reported an association between moderate alcohol consumption and an increased risk of breast cancer. This information is not new and has long been addressed in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as in a previous 2016 Surgeon General’s Report.
The current health warning has informed consumers for decades about health risks broadly, and it is the federal government’s role to determine any proposed changes to the warning statements based on the entire body of scientific research. The industry is committed to following all laws and regulations that govern our labeling.
We do not recommend that anyone drink to achieve health benefits and urge all adults who choose to consume alcohol to consult with their health provider to determine what is best for them and to follow the recommendations of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, which states, “Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. There are some adults who should not drink alcohol, such as women who are pregnant.”
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