Not related to the carcinogenic effect or to Americans but to the “life ruining” effect and the general association of alcohol as a bad thing: in India, the movies allowed for public screening are required by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC, also known commonly as the Censor Board), in scenes showing the smoking of cigarettes or the consumption of alcohol, a ticker with messages that they’re dangerous to health. This is shown in the language of the movie (India has 22 official languages). Cable broadcasts and streaming service providers sometimes include this message ticker or blur the bottle or glass in such scenes (or remove them outright).
Socially, women and children bear the brunt of alcoholism by the men in the house. So there have been long time protests favoring prohibition in many states. Some states have also officially prohibited alcohol (resulting in smuggling and also the preparation of bootleg liquor that tends to kill people often) while some other states have state run liquor shops. The governments do earn a lot of money from tax revenues, and wouldn’t want to completely give up alcohol.