
AIIMS researchers advocate for cancer warning labels on alcohol products
What's the story
Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, have called for strong warning labels on alcohol products to prevent avoidable cancers. The suggestion comes as a parallel to India's successful implementation of tobacco warnings. The opinion piece titled "Expanding behavioral interventions through cancer warning labels in India: from cigarette packs to alcohol bottles" was recently published in Frontiers in Public Health.
Carcinogenic concerns
Alcohol is a known carcinogen like tobacco
The AIIMS researchers, Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Dr. Vaibhav Sahni, and Dr. Deepak Saini, pointed out that alcohol is a known carcinogen like tobacco but remains largely unrecognized. They emphasized that adolescence is a critical time for the onset and escalation of substance use behavior, including alcohol consumption. The researchers believe that behavioral interventions such as alcohol warning labels could positively influence consumption habits among adolescents in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Cancer statistics
Cancer cases in India are rising rapidly
The researchers also highlighted a steep rise in cancer cases in India, with a 36% increase in incidence from 2012 to 2022. According to GLOBOCAN 2022 data, there were about 1.41 million new cancer cases and a total cancer mortality of 916,827. The AIIMS researchers noted that alcohol consumption contributes a small fraction to these figures but still warrants attention given its potential link with various types of cancers.
Global perspective
Labels have been effective in reducing consumption
In January 2025, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory on alcohol consumption and cancer risk, noting that drinking increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer. The AIIMS researchers also pointed out that even before this advisory was released, alcohol-attributable cancers were already recognized as a major contributor to the global disease burden. They cited evidence showing that cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages have been effective in reducing consumption and changing perceptions about alcohol.
Tobacco impact
Health warnings on cigarette packs increased awareness by 16%
The AIIMS researchers also drew parallels between their suggestions and the success of health warnings on cigarette packs. A 2016-17 Global Adult Tobacco Survey found that health warnings on cigarette packs increased awareness by 16%, with pictorial warnings having an even greater impact. They suggested that similar strategies could be applied to alcohol products, with clear labels indicating cancer risks associated with consumption.
Synergistic impact
Need to address dual use of tobacco and alcohol
The AIIMS researchers also highlighted the combined effect of smoking and alcohol consumption on cancer risk. They referred to a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Workshop in December 2020 that stressed the need to address dual use of tobacco and alcohol. The researchers said co-use has been linked with a multiplicative effect on cancer risk, especially for pharyngeal and oral cancers.