As many Americans embark upon dry January, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory Friday that could inspire them to keep it up. 

Dr. Vivek Murthy said there is a direct link between alcohol consumption and the 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 fo Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a statement.

In his advisory, the surgeon general said consuming alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer. It increases the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer, including of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box. 

Wine, beer or spirits — it does not matter which type of alcohol is consumed, he said. Numerous scientific studies over the past four decades have shown the connection.

Murthy’s advisory calls for an update to the surgeon general’s health warning label on beverages containing alcohol to include cancer risk. The advisory also calls for reassessing the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to incorporate cancer risk.

The current guidelines say women should consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day, and men should consume no more than two.

The advisory also urges people to be aware of increased cancer risk when considering how much to drink. It suggests public health workers and community groups work to educate the public about the link between drinking and cancer.