Surgeon general calls for new label on alcohol to warn Americans of cancer risk

Consuming alcohol raises the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer diseases, research has found (David J Phillip/AP)

Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer, a risk that should be clearly labelled on drinks Americans consume, US surgeon general Vivek Murthy has proposed.

Mr Murthy’s advisory comes as research and evidence mounts about the bad effects that alcohol has on human health, but his proposal for a label would require a rare approval from the US Congress.