Senator David Waters introduced Senate Bill 4-17, which would add the phrase "drinking alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk" to the state's existing alcohol-warning signage.

Waters said the change responds to recent scientific findings, including the 2025 U.S. Surgeon General advisory, and is meant to inform younger drinkers that cancer risk accumulates over decades. "There are many different kinds of cancer...and so it seemed that this would be a useful health warning to add," Waters said.

Three members of Dover Youth to Youth testified in support, citing the Surgeon General's report and CDC explanations about how alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk. "At two drinks a day, about four more women out of 100 develop breast cancer," one youth witness said, summarizing the advisory's example for the committee.

Kate Fry, vice president of advocacy at New Futures, also backed the bill and told the panel that the Surgeon General report prompted many people to ask how strong the evidence was. "It was surprising how many folks reached out to us saying they didn't know how strong the evidence was, especially young people," she said.

Mike Summers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, opposed the proposal as duplicative and potentially burdensome. He said businesses already display multiple notices and asked what "prominent place" would legally require. "At what point are we just wallpapering our businesses?" Summers asked.

Senators and witnesses discussed existing educational programs and prevention messaging; Waters deferred detailed technical questions to the student experts. The committee closed the hearing on the bill without taking a vote.

The next procedural step is the committee's executive session, where members may discuss amendments or make a recommendation on SB417.