AP News, May 28th, 2007
Beer, wine and hard liquor packaging in Britain will carry warning labels next year detailing how many units of alcohol each drink contains as well as recommended safe drinking levels, the public health minister said Monday.
It's the first time health warnings on alcoholic drink containers will be this specific in Britain, where binge-drinking among young adults has been a growing concern.
Containers presently carry percentage of alcohol details and most have unit information, but none have details about safe drinking levels. The Health Ministry and the drinks industry struck a voluntary agreement on the labels, which are to start appearing by the end of 2008.
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint did not reveal the exact wording to be used on the labels, but said the warnings will not be as strong as those found on cigarette packets.
Health officials have also said they want warnings against drinking by pregnant women to be included on the new labels, but it was unclear Monday if the industry had agreed to that.
Binge-drinking among young adults has been on the rise in Britain in recent years, and figures released last week showed that alcohol-related deaths have more than doubled in men since 1993.
Flint said the new labels will make it easier to stick to recommended drinking limits. Officials advise that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day and women not more than two to three.
A unit of alcohol is about one-third of an ounce of pure alcohol. A pint of normal strength lager in Britain contains two units of alcohol.
A small glass of wine or a half pint of beer are often taken as being one unit. But this can vary depending on the strength of the drink.
"We want to make it as simple as possible for people to keep an eye on how much they are drinking and help them take the responsibility for lessening the impact excess alcohol can have on their health," Flint said.
British Retail Consortium Director General Kevin Hawkins said the agreement is "yet another practical demonstration of retailers' responsible attitude to selling alcohol."
"They have been actively involved in the development of this label and the concise and simple way it sets out information gives consumers an easy way to make informed decisions about how they enjoy alcohol," he said.
