Alcoholic drinks to carry health warnings under plan to stop binge drinking

[mc_squared]

Alcoholic drinks to carry health warnings under plan to stop binge drinking

 

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:09 PM on 15th February 2010

 

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Bottles of wine, beer and spirits will have to carry warnings about the health affects of alcohol and reminders to drink responsibly under Government plans to be unveiled today.

The warnings, which would be similar to those carried on cigarette packets, would appear on all drinks sold at shops and supermarkets in an attempt to address Britain's binge-drinking culture.

The labels would include the number of alcohol units in each bottle, a reminder about the effects of alcohol consumption. and recommended daily limits.

 

Beer, wine and spirits could soon all have to carry warning labels about the health effects of alcohol

 

They would also include the logo of Drink Aware, a charity aiming to tackle Britain's 'national drinking culture.'

 

The government is considering enforcing the labels, after some drinks companies refused to apply with a voluntary code to introduce labels themselves.

 

 

More...

 

 

• From the Government that gave us 24-hour drinking, a £7m ad campaign on the perils of that extra pint
  
• Pubs want Britain on Euro time... so we'll booze more
  

 

Just 15 per cent of alcoholic drinks currently carry five key messages, despite a voluntary code agreed between industry and Government in 2007.

There has been an increase since 2008, when only 6 per cent of labels met the standard, but today's report said just 19 per cent of labels will carry all the warnings by the end of this year.

 

The plans to be published today will give brewers and distillers three options: that drinks firms voluntarily comply, that they be forced to do so by the regulator the Portman's Group or that they be forced to do so by law.

 

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: 'We have now received assurances to comply from most of the major manufacturers and retailers.

 

'I invite the industry as a whole to deliver on these assurances.'

 

Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: the code should be mandatory.

 

'If the industry is dragging its heels, we cannot wait another three years for them to comply.'

Public Health Minister Gillian Merron said: 'Despite responsible efforts from some brands such as Bulmers, Fosters, Kronenbourg and the major supermarkets, overall progress on labelling is very disappointing.

 

‘Whilst there should be no need to bring in legislation when the industry can clearly sort it out themselves, we will not hesitate to act decisively if industry does not deliver.

 

‘I expect to see much more leadership from more of the major producers.

 

‘We know that too many are drinking at harmful levels and producers should play their part in helping to stem this tide by ensuring we all have access to clear and consistent health information on labels.'

 

 

Plans for drink labeling is part of Labour's push to address the binge drinking epidemic in Britain

 

Today's plan is the latest assault on the binge-drinking culture in Britain from the government that introduced 24-hour drinking.

It was revealed yesterday that Labour has spent £7million on television adverts warning about the dangers of drinking in pubs – just four years after giving the go-ahead to 24-hour opening.

The commercials show the damage that an extra pint or glass of wine can inflict on internal organs – but they have led to accusations of hyprocrisy against the Government which allowed unrestricted drinking.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘The sheer nerve of it. They are spending taxpayers’ money to try to solve the problems their policies have created.

‘There could be no clearer indication of a Government that has lost any sense of direction. We can’t go on like this.’

Round-the-clock opening got the go-ahead 2005 after major lobbying by the leisure industry – and then-Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said the changes ‘make it possible for the vast majority of people who drink but who never get into trouble to have more freedom as to when they drink’.

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: 'Yet again research independently commissioned by Government shows that the drinks industry is dragging its feet - this time in complying with the information it has promised to put on labels.

 

'With 85 per cent failing to meet their own agreed standards, we surely cannot waste another three years before bringing in a mandatory code that forces them to give the public the information they deserve.'

 

Alison Rogers, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, says: 'The time for consultation is over.

 

'The alcohol industry has shown that it is not capable of acting collectively for the good of public health and the code should be mandatory and strictly enforced.

 

'The Government has been talking about this for over 10 years now, stalling at every opportunity, even though their own Department of Health-funded research showed significant non-compliance.'

 

About 10million adults in Britain the daily alcohol limit prescribed by the NHS - which is 2-3 units for women and 3-4 units for men.

Government figures reveal 9,000 people died of alcohol-related causes in 2008. During 2007/08 there were 863,300 admissions to hospitals in England related to alcohol consumption – a 69 per cent rise since 2002/03.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1251044/Alcoholic-drinks-carry-health-warnings-plan-stop-binge-drinking.html#ixzz0fbeO35m1

[Matter-Eater Lad]

haha that's gonna work.

 

Maybe they could do a add campaign to let people know shooting yourself in the head is also bad for your health! I'm sure there would be less problems in society if government would simply point out the obvious more often.

[noonsun]

Yep, nobody knows that alcoholic drinks are bad for you, this'll fix all binge drinking right up. :nice:

[mc_squared]

The only way they're going to stop people binge drinking will be if they're able to identify and "eradicate" the binge-drinking "gene".:rolleyes:

[a_face_of_light]

Because that idea worked so well with cigarettes, well over half the people I know smoke, young people stil seem to loads in general, why will they take notice of health warnings on alcohol anymore than they do with cigarettes?.

Perhaps Gordon Brown should stick to blubbering to Piers Morgan rather than attempting to run the country.

[Reilly]

The only way they're going to stop people binge drinking will be if they're able to identify and "eradicate" the binge-drinking "gene".:rolleyes:

 

Can you be more specific?

[mc_squared]

Because that idea worked so well with cigarettes, well over half the people I know smoke, young people stil seem to loads in general, why will they take notice of health warnings on alcohol anymore than they do with cigarettes?.

Perhaps Gordon Brown should stick to blubbering to Piers Morgan rather than attempting to run the country.

 

And maybe they should make sure "yoofs" are actually capable of reading health warnings before starting to add them.:rolleyes: