Alcoholic Drinks
to Carry
Warning Labels in Europe
By UK News Group (Originally in English)
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 600,000 Europeans die every year from alcohol-related problems. This costs EU members €200 billion (US$253 billion) annually. However, Europe is about to turn a corner in it’s alcohol policy. Since Master spoke of the need for governments to warn their citizens of the destructive effects of alcohol (January 2006, Magazine 164), the European Community has called on its member states to consider imposing health warning labels. A report released in June by the Institute of Alcohol Studies declared that all alcoholic products should carry health warnings. This report was funded by the European Commission in order to analyze alcohol’s effect on the social, economic, and physical well-being of Europe. It says that the harmful effects of alcohol should be described on the labels of alcoholic products. Also, product packaging, labeling, and advertising should be regulated to avoid false impressions of the physiological effects of alcoholic beverages. Reducing drinking through early education and public awareness programs are recommended. The report also argues that a decline in the consumption of alcohol will not necessarily lead to job losses, and may not even lead to drastic changes in affected sectors such as restaurants and bars. These positive recommendations will be taken into consideration by the EU Commission in September, when it develops a new alcohol policy in its Communication on Alcohol and Health. The European Commission isn’t alone in tackling the problem
of alcohol warning labels. Several European countries have already
developed similar plans. France published a report last autumn suggesting
that warning labels on alcoholic beverages would help change attitudes
to drinking. Furthermore, France, Sweden, and Finland, have all announced
plans to introduce warning labels for pregnant women on alcohol beverages.
In April, the UK’s Public Health Minister, Caroline Flint, said
that alcoholic beverages in Britain may carry health warnings within
two years. The warnings would be similar to those found on cigarette
packets, and would be placed on beverage labels, as well as in bars
and shops that sell alcohol.
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