Should the US follow surgeon general Vivek Murthy’s call Friday for cancer warning labels on alcohol, it would join a tiny contingent of nations that advise drinkers of the risk. The WHO concluded in 1988 that alcohol is carcinogenic to humans, and it has for years said that the harms of alcohol were well documented. However, a group of researchers noted in a study published in 2020 that only a quarter of the world’s countries require any health warnings on alcohol. Their language is generally vague, and cancer warnings are rare. Here are a few countries that have linked cancer to alcohol or are considering more aggressive labels.
South Korea:
Only South Korea has a label warning about liver cancer. In 2016, the country mandated a group of labels for alcohol, some of which include warnings about liver cancer. Manufacturers can choose, however, to apply alternative labels that don’t mention cancer. South Korea has long ranked high among nations for alcohol consumption. Authorities have tried to take action against the drinking culture. In 2012, police in Seoul announced a crackdown on drunken violence. Ireland:
Beginning in 2026, labels that read “There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers” and “drinking alcohol causes liver cancer” in red capital letters will be required on all containers of beer, wine and liquor sold in Ireland. The rule was signed into law in 2023, making Ireland the first nation to mandate the public to link any drinking level to cancer. Ireland has been on the forefront of other public health policies. In 2004, it became the first country to ban smoking in indoor workplaces, including bars. Since then, over 70 countries have followed suit.
Norway:
It already extensively regulates alcohol, restricting beer sales to before 8 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Wine, spirits, and “strong beer” are sold only in state alcohol shops. The country has been developing proposals to include cancer warnings.
Thailand:
It is also working on a regulation that would require alcohol to have labels with graphic images and text warnings such as “alcoholic beverages can cause cancer,” according to the Bangkok Post. Industry groups have criticised the plan.
Canada:
Although Canada does not mandate cancer warnings on alcohol, a bill requiring labels that note a direct link was introduced in the Canadian parliament in 2022. In recent years, several countries have endorsed the idea that there is no safe level of drinking. Some governments of countries with high drinking rates have also moved to reduce consumption, including in Russia, where the effort has been one of its main public health goals.
