In a new advisory, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recommended that labels on alcoholic beverages be updated to include a warning about cancer risk.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recommends an update to the warning labels currently on alcohol — but it will take an act of Congress to make it happen.

Alcoholic beverages should carry a prominent warning label about the link between alcohol and cancer, according to the U.S. surgeon general.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s call for cancer warnings on alcohol is being welcomed by some substance-misuse prevention advocates in New Hampshire. In an advisory issued last week, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called alcohol the “third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States,” contributing to around 20,000 cancer deaths each year.

A flurry of news reports and studies that point to the health hazards of alcohol are a cause for concern for beverage producers already dealing with a challenging market.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday that two alcoholic drinks a day increases the risk for seven types of cancer, calling for cancer warning labels on alcohol. Emily Leeming, who researches the gut microbiome, has tricks to get more fermented foods in her diet, including using kefir in clever ways.

Alcohol consumption is the third-leading cause of preventable cancer in the U.S. and kills around 20,000 people annually.

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages. Alcohol increases the risk of multiple cancers. Changes to labels need Congressional approval. Surgeon General's proposals recall historical tobacco regulations.