Alcohol and Cancer

EPA to Reconsider Asbestos Ban: Public Health Concerns Ignored

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to reconsider its ban on asbestos, a known cancer-causing substance. This decision, following an industry challenge, is expected to delay the ban for approximately 30 months, giving manufacturers potentially up to 12 years to phase out its use. This prolonged timeline reflects lobbying efforts from trade groups.

The potential for a weakened or overturned ban on asbestos raises serious concerns about public health. Asbestos exposure has been linked to numerous debilitating and deadly diseases, including mesothelioma, a particularly aggressive form of lung cancer. The prospect of increased asbestos use represents a significant setback in efforts to protect individuals from preventable cancers and respiratory illnesses.… Continue reading

Surgeon General Urges Cancer Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages

The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory recommending a cancer risk warning be added to alcohol beverage labels, citing alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., responsible for approximately 100,000 annual cancer cases. This recommendation stems from conclusive evidence linking alcohol consumption to cancer, a risk largely unknown to the public despite decades of research. The advisory also calls for reevaluating recommended alcohol limits, improving public education, and enhancing label visibility to increase awareness of alcohol’s carcinogenic effects. Excessive alcohol use increases the risk of several cancers, including breast, colorectal, liver, stomach, and certain head and neck cancers.

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