Las Vegas and Miami Billboards Warn of Hot Dog-Cancer Link

PCRM billboards in Las Vegas and Miami recently warned residents and visitors that chowing down on hot dogs could seriously damage their health and increase their risk of colorectal cancer.

The Las Vegas billboard, displayed during the Republican presidential debate, read: “There’s no debate: Hot Dogs Cause Cancer.”

The Miami billboard, near the Dolphins’ Sun Life Stadium, read: “Warning: Hot Dogs Can Take You Out of the Game.”

“Processed meats like hot dogs can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer. Like cigarettes, hot dogs should come with a warning label that helps people understand the health risk,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, just one 50-gram serving of processed meat (about the amount in one hot dog) consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent. Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs a year, as well as significant amounts of bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats. Every year, about 143,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and approximately 53,000 die of it.

To learn more about the dangers of processed meats, visit PCRM.org/Health.