Alaska has become the first state to require alcohol retailers to post warnings linking alcohol use to cancer. A provision in Senate Bill 15, introduced by Representative Andrew Gray (D-Anchorage), mandates signage stating: “Alcohol use can cause cancer, including breast and colon cancers.”
The law addresses low public awareness about alcohol’s role as a carcinogen.
According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol is the third-leading cause of cancer in women and fourth in men, with moderate drinking increasing risks. Just one drink per day is linked to a 4% rise in breast cancer risk.
Rep. Gray, a medical provider, emphasized helping Alaskans make informed health decisions. “As a medical provider myself, I wish every Alaskan knew all of the health harms associated with alcohol, especially its potential to cause common life-threatening cancers.”
According to The International Journal of Circumpolar Health, Alaska Native persons had the highest documented incidence rate of colon cancer in the world in 2018.
Health experts, including Dr. Madeleine Grant and Dr. Tim Naimi, praised the measure as a public health milestone.
“Educating Alaskans about this will help to prevent cancers (including common ones, such as breast and colon cancers) and also help decrease healthcare costs for all of us.” Said Madeleine Grant, MD.
“This is an important step for Alaskan consumers, who have the right to know basic information about all the food and beverage products they purchase—let alone a product that is an addicting carcinogen and happens to be a leading cause of harms, social problems, and healthcare costs in Alaska,” stated Tim Naimi, MD, Director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria.
Supporters say the new law will help correct misconceptions, reduce cancer rates, and lower healthcare costs.