News — On January 3, the Surgeon General issued a call for cancer warnings on alcoholic drinks.

—a Professor and Chief of Cancer Epidemiology and co-leader of Cancer Prevention and Control at the who served on panels to develop dietary guidelines on cancer prevention, including alcohol recommendations, with the American Cancer Society and the American Institute for Cancer Research/World Cancer Research Fund—and , an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Cancer Institute and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a nutrition epidemiologist, applaud this initiative.

Bandera, who is also the Unilever Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Cancer Prevention at Rutgers, and Qin are available for interviews. In addition, Bandera’s and Qin’s following quotes are available for pick up for stories on the report:

Bandera: “Research has consistently shown that drinking alcohol increases the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, liver, colon, and esophageal cancers, with even moderate drinking elevating breast cancer risk. Alcohol contributes to cancer development by damaging DNA through toxic byproducts, disrupting hormonal balance, impairing nutrient absorption, and causing chronic inflammation. For smokers, the risk is even greater, as the combined effects of alcohol and tobacco act synergistically to dramatically increase the likelihood of cancers, particularly in the mouth, throat, and esophagus. Alarmingly, despite decades of evidence, many people remain unaware of this critical link. Including a warning label on alcoholic beverages is a vital step toward empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health and personal risks.”

Qin: “Research clearly shows that drinking alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, liver, mouth, and throat, among others. Even light drinking—less than one drink per week—can place people’s health at risk. The Surgeon General’s call for mandatory warnings on alcohol brings this danger, largely unknown to the public, into the spotlight. By clearly labeling the risks, we can help people make more informed decisions about their well-being.”