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Hold My Beer, Red Dye No. 3 and Younger Cancer Patients: What I’m Reading This Week

Jan. 24, 2025
A look at some health news of note for safety professionals.

For the past week, my partner has been sick. Now I’m starting to feel crummy. It’s perhaps not a surprise that my eye has been drawn to some health headlines of late.

My mom, a former nurse, always writes wishes for health and wellness in her holiday cards. She knows the value and importance of good health.

January is always a tough time of year, and 2025 has felt exceptionally draining. I hope you are taking care of your physical, mental and emotional health. Whatever you’re facing, I hope you are finding ways to stay strong and make good habits easier. For those of you struggling, remember that willpower is not finite; there’s no better time than the present to start. Also, remember that it’s OK to ask for help and that it’s really important to be gentle with yourself.

Until next time, stay safe, keep well and be kind!

Hold My Beer

Much of our culture is centered around alcohol, be it drinks after work, a party or just a glass of red with dinner. For decades, the U.S. Dietary Guidance has been to drink in moderation: no more two drinks a day for men and one for women.

Earlier this month, Americans were stunned to see then-U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy call on Congress to update warning labels on alcoholic beverages informing consumers about the link between alcohol consumption and the increased risk of cancer.

“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said. “This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”

There is a direct, well-established link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk for at least seven types of cancer including breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx) and voice box (larynx). It does not matter what type of alcohol is consumed.

People who had one drink a day had a 40% higher risk of developing these seven types of cancer compared to those who didn’t drink at all. Furthermore, the more drinks consumed per day, the higher the risk. There are other behaviors, factors and environmental exposures that can contribute to an individual’s risk factor, such as a family history of cancer or smoking. But multiple health experts have said there is no safe level of alcohol to drink; alcohol is a known carcinogen.

The announcement is reminiscent of the surgeon general’s warning on tobacco in 1964.

“The science has been building for years, creating greater and greater certainty about more and more types of cancer,” Murthy said in a conversation with Steve Inskeep on NPR’s Morning Edition.  “But what is clear is that while people know, for example, about the link between tobacco and cancer and other health risks and cancer, less than half of people in America know that alcohol is, in fact, connected to cancer risk.”

It will be interesting to see how what Congress decides to do (if anything), how the market responds and how consumers react. I have unintentionally been participating in dry January as part of a larger effort to cut down on excess calories and sugars in my diet. But, if that also helps me lower my risk of cancer, then it’s making me reconsider whether it’s worth it for a glass of wine or two with dinner, especially since there are so many non-alcoholic alternatives.

Read more about the announcement from Time.

Red Dye No. 3

The cereal, baking, candy, juice, soda, meat and pharmacy aisles, among others, could be a little less bright pink or red in a couple years. For over a century, Red Dye No. 3 has been used to boost the color of many foods and even certain medications.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Red Dye No. 3 over concerns that it could cause cancer in rats. The agency notes that the cancer-causing mechanism is specific to rats exposed to high levels of the dye, but the Delaney Clause prohibits the FDA from approving additives shown to cause cancer in humans or animals, regardless of exposure levels.

For the average consumer, the announcement may seem sudden or random, but the FDA already banned Red Dye No. 3 in cosmetics in 1990 because the synthetic chemical was found to potentially cause cancer in laboratory animals. The European Union, Australia and New Zealand have already banned most uses of Red Dye No. 3 in foods. And the FDA acknowledged that there are other certified colors used more widely than Red Dye No. 3.

Ashlie D. Stevens writes for Salon that this ban raises concerns about other synthetic dyes and additives found on grocery store shelves. “One major concern among food safety and public health experts is that the FDA relies on outdated studies—some over 70 years old—to establish acceptable daily limits for synthetic dyes. Newer research presents evidence that might prompt reconsideration of those limits. For instance, in 2021, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) published a report revealing that the seven most widely used food dyes — Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 — can contribute to or exacerbate neurobehavioral problems in some children.”

More research is needed, of course, but it did make me pause. There’s a saying that we eat with our eyes, but maybe we should amend that to eat what colors we can see in nature.

Read Stevens’ full article here.

Younger Cancer Patients

Apologies for the doom and gloom this week, but this headline really hit home.

A new report from the American Cancer Society found that cancer diagnoses are shifting. Men historically have had higher overall cancer incidence than women, but in 2021 women aged 50 and under in the U.S. had an 82% higher cancer incidence rate than their male peers.

“We see, for the first time, if you’re a woman under the age of 65, you’re now more likely to develop cancer than men in that same age group,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, told CNN. “The other thing is, we’re seeing a change in—at the time of diagnosis—the age of which patients develop cancer.”

It is not clear why cancer incidence among younger adults is rising and therefore what can be done to change the tide. Breast and thyroid cancers in women seem to be driving the trend.

This report is concerning for a number of reasons, including the fact that many preventive screenings are age-based and aren’t generally recommended or covered by insurance for those under a certain age. For example, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women at average risk get a mammogram every two years starting at age 40 through age 74. Without insurance, those and other screenings like colonoscopies might not be affordable.

In addition, earlier diagnoses will likely mean that more people will be working through their treatment and juggling added responsibilities of raising young children or caring for aging parents. While individual situations will vary, it’s clear that earlier cancer diagnoses have the potential to upend our approach to treatment, societal structures and further lower the nation’s birth rate.

One bright spot of the report: Overall cancer survival rates are increasing, and the country’s cancer mortality rate has continued to fall. So, while more people may be getting treatment in the oncology wing, more of them are also ringing that bell.

Read a story about the report from CNN.

About the Author

Nicole Stempak

Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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