This world is all about awareness, transparency and letting the consumers know what they are essentially consuming. With this thought and an objective to promote a healthier life, the US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages, along with a warning sign, similar to the cigarette packs. While Canada has not mandated cancer warnings for alcoholic beverages, experts are welcoming this idea and are supporting the push in labelling of such products. All of this came at the backdrop of the new Surgeon General Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, which found direct links between alcohol and 7 different types of cancers. These included breast cancer, colon cancer, throat cancer, liver cancer, voice box cancer, esophagus cancer, and mouth cancer. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol consumption is the 3rd leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States.What is happening in Canada?Speaking to a media outlet, Erin Hobin, a scientist at Public Health Ontario who has studied the effectiveness of alcohol warning labels, said, "Consumers have a right to know the inherent health risks of products they're consuming, especially products that are often sold by governments."She commented, " think there is an opportunity for Canada to strengthen their labelling regulations for alcohol purely from a consumer's right to know perspective."The World Health Organization's Agency for Research on Cancer also categorized alcoholic beverages as a group 1 carcinogen.There is no safe limit...As per studies, all kinds of alcoholic drinks are carcinogens, including wine, spirits, beer and cider. The reason is due to the ethanol in them. The higher the amount of the carcinogen ethanol in an alcoholic beverage, the greater the risk of developing cancer. Experts have time and again reiterated that there is no safe amount in drinking alcohol. Furthermore statements like wine can be heart healthy, too is a myth. Experts have pointed out that any amount or kind of alcohol leads to high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and cardiac dysrhythmias. It is also toxic to liver and can cause birth defects.Will adding warning really help? Citing a 2023 Health Canada National Survey, Hobin pointed out that the evidence is strongest for a cancer warning on alcohol containers in terms of attracting consumer attention. This is because the majority of adults in Canada are unaware that alcohol causes cancer.The study noted: "People in Canada are generally aware that higher alcohol consumption increases the risk of certain alcohol-related harms. However, most do not know about the cancer risks at low consumption levels. Over one-third are not familiar with the concept of a "standard drink". Among those who are, many struggle to put the concept into practice when beverages don't come in a single-serving container."The survey on labelling alcoholic products noted that most people agreed that the labels on alcohol products should be displayed. Among many things, they wished the labels to display the standard drinks, guidance to reduce health risks and 55% of them wanted health warnings on the products.