Label the Truth: Update Alcohol Warnings to Reflect Modern Science
Label the Truth: Update Alcohol Warnings to Reflect Modern Science
The Issue
Label the Truth: Update Alcohol Warnings to Reflect Modern Science
Target: U.S. Congress and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Department of the Treasury
Backed by: 2025 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Alcohol & Cancer
"There is no safe level of alcohol consumption. It causes DNA damage that leads to cancer."
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, January 17, 2025
The Warning Hasn’t Changed Since 1989. The Science Has.
Alcohol kills 178,000 Americans every year—more than opioids, more than guns, more than car crashes.
It causes seven types of cancer, contributes to suicide and addiction, and still carries the same vague warning label it did in 1989:
"May cause health problems."
That’s not a warning. That’s a legal shield.
Three months ago, the Surgeon General finally told the truth: alcohol causes cancer. So why hasn’t Congress updated the label?
We Demand HHS:
- Immediately update alcohol warning labels to include cancer risks - like cigarette packs already do.
- Act on the Surgeon General’s 2025 advisory by formally modernizing alcohol risk communication.
- Enforce truth-in-advertising laws so alcohol promotions disclose real harms - just as other drugs must.
Why This Matters
Most people have no idea alcohol causes cancer - especially breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 American women. Many drinkers have never seen the term carcinogen anywhere near a bottle.
That’s not accidental. It’s the result of political pressure, industry lobbying, and decades of silence.
When we label peanuts but not alcohol, something is deeply broken.
This petition isn’t about shaming drinkers. It’s about giving people the facts they deserve - because informed consent is not optional.
Key Facts
- Alcohol = Group 1 Carcinogen (WHO/IARC)
- 178,000 U.S. deaths/year (CDC)
- 1 in 8 breast cancers linked to alcohol (American Cancer Society)
- $35.6 million spent by alcohol lobbyists in 2023 (OpenSecrets)
Take Action
📢 Sign this petition to demand truth from HHS.
And if you’ve ever lost someone to alcohol-related illness - share this petition now.
Let’s put the warning back where it belongs.
#LabelTheTruth | #CancerInMyDrink | drinkproof.org
Sources:
CDC – Excessive Alcohol-Related Deaths
U.S. Surgeon General Advisory, 2025
American Cancer Society – Alcohol Use and Cancer
American Cancer Society - Lifestyle-related Breast Cancer Risk Factors
211
The Issue
Label the Truth: Update Alcohol Warnings to Reflect Modern Science
Target: U.S. Congress and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Department of the Treasury
Backed by: 2025 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Alcohol & Cancer
"There is no safe level of alcohol consumption. It causes DNA damage that leads to cancer."
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, January 17, 2025
The Warning Hasn’t Changed Since 1989. The Science Has.
Alcohol kills 178,000 Americans every year—more than opioids, more than guns, more than car crashes.
It causes seven types of cancer, contributes to suicide and addiction, and still carries the same vague warning label it did in 1989:
"May cause health problems."
That’s not a warning. That’s a legal shield.
Three months ago, the Surgeon General finally told the truth: alcohol causes cancer. So why hasn’t Congress updated the label?
We Demand HHS:
- Immediately update alcohol warning labels to include cancer risks - like cigarette packs already do.
- Act on the Surgeon General’s 2025 advisory by formally modernizing alcohol risk communication.
- Enforce truth-in-advertising laws so alcohol promotions disclose real harms - just as other drugs must.
Why This Matters
Most people have no idea alcohol causes cancer - especially breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 American women. Many drinkers have never seen the term carcinogen anywhere near a bottle.
That’s not accidental. It’s the result of political pressure, industry lobbying, and decades of silence.
When we label peanuts but not alcohol, something is deeply broken.
This petition isn’t about shaming drinkers. It’s about giving people the facts they deserve - because informed consent is not optional.
Key Facts
- Alcohol = Group 1 Carcinogen (WHO/IARC)
- 178,000 U.S. deaths/year (CDC)
- 1 in 8 breast cancers linked to alcohol (American Cancer Society)
- $35.6 million spent by alcohol lobbyists in 2023 (OpenSecrets)
Take Action
📢 Sign this petition to demand truth from HHS.
And if you’ve ever lost someone to alcohol-related illness - share this petition now.
Let’s put the warning back where it belongs.
#LabelTheTruth | #CancerInMyDrink | drinkproof.org
Sources:
CDC – Excessive Alcohol-Related Deaths
U.S. Surgeon General Advisory, 2025
American Cancer Society – Alcohol Use and Cancer
American Cancer Society - Lifestyle-related Breast Cancer Risk Factors
211
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on April 30, 2025