Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call Friday to require alcohol labels warning of cancer risk will likely face strong resistance in Congress, which would have to pass a law to require the labels. The alcohol industry fiercely opposes labeling as well as stricter guidance around consumption — the government currently recommends men consume no more than two drinks per day and women no more than one — and has cultivated support among lawmakers through an expensive lobbying and political operation.

Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, Vivek Murthy said. Only Congress has the power to mandate changes to warning labels.

A warning from the country's top doctor about alcohol's cancer risk comes at a time of year when many are already taking a step back from drinking.