Poll: Most won't change drinking habits, despite Surgeon General's warning of cancer risk
The Surgeon General's recent warning that alcohol can cause cancer didn't exactly fall on deaf ears, but won't change America's drinking habits either, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll suggests.
The survey found 86% had no plans to drink less alcohol after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that consumption can increase cancer risk. Only about 13% said they planned to drink less following Murthy's pronouncement.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken by landline and cellphone from Jan. 7 to 11, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
In Northern California’s wine country, Suzanne Clark, a 77-year-old retiree in Sonoma, said she was less likely to consume after the surgeon general’s advisory.
“I’m very concerned about health, particularly at this age,” said Clark, a Democrat.
Still, she has a practice. She measures eight ounces of wine − her preference is sauvignon blanc or pinot noir. She then pours the wine into another glass with ice, adding a little bit over the ice, to manage how much she drinks.
“I think that works for me,” she said.
Joe Gil, 39, of Tampa, said he tends to have two to three beers once every two weeks.
He believes there's a greater health risk from genetically-modified foods than an occasional beer, so Murthy's alcohol warning made no difference to him.
"I don’t think that would really impact my decision-making related to consuming alcohol," Gil said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Poll: Surgeon General alcohol warning won't change drinking habits
