Alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of cancer in U.S., Surgeon general says

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The nation's top doctor is zeroing in on alcohol consumption in our country and has released a new advisory warning that alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says alcohol consumption is third, followed by tobacco and obesity.

The American Cancer Society and ACS Can are commending the effort.

"Today's advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General brings necessary awareness to the risks of alcohol consumption as it relates to cancer incidence," said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.

Others are perplexed by the announcement.

"It seems like a weird thing to zero in on," said Neuse River Brewing Owner Ryan Kolarov. "This seems like a strange thing to me. There are a lot of things, I think, that we consume that if you consume enough of them that it could potentially cause health problems."

If a warning were issued, brewers and distillers across North Carolina would be required to add the warning to their bottles.

The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics finds almost 16 percent of adult North Carolinians over age 18 binge drink at least once per month and an average of more than 4,400 deaths each year are attributed to excessive alcohol use.

"I've heard pretty much my whole life it's just poison," said Prospect Hill Resident Jacob Hill.

He is 20 years old and says several of his family members have battled alcoholism.

Hill plans to never drink and agrees with the advisory.

"There can't be any health benefits to it," said Hill. "It's so addictive and I see so many family members destroyed by it.

SEE ALSO | Dry January: What is it and how beneficial can giving up alcohol be?

The advisory does note that a person's risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is also determined by other factors, including biological, economic, environmental and social.