British Doctors Call for Health Warnings on Alcohol July 25, 2003
News Summary
Britain's leading liver specialists are urging the government to require health warnings on all drinks in an effort to curb alcohol-related illnesses in younger adults, the London Daily Telegraph reported July 24.A petition containing the signatures of 500 doctors was presented to government officials. The petition calls for the number of units of alcohol and consensus "sensible drinking limits" to be printed on all alcohol containers.
The doctors have proposed the following wording for all alcoholic products: "HM Government Health Warning. This product contains x units of alcohol. Consumption of more than 21 units/week for men and 14 units/week for women can damage your health."
According to Britain's Department of Health, deaths from cirrhosis among men aged 45 to 54 have increased four-fold in the past 30 years, while in women in the same age group, the number of deaths has tripled.
Among people ages 35 to 44, the increase in cirrhosis deaths increased eightfold for men and sevenfold for women.
"Fifty percent of our patients with cirrhosis are not alcoholics. They are not dependent on alcohol, but they have advanced liver disease. People grossly underestimate the amount that they drink," said Prof Ian Gilmore, registrar of the Royal College of Physicians. "We need better labeling so you know just what you are doing."
The alcohol industry is opposed to health warnings. "We don't know of any evidence that putting health warnings on alcoholic drinks has significant effect on behavior," said Jean Coussins, chief executive of the Portman Group, which represents the alcohol industry. "However, we would encourage all drinks producers to ensure where possible the number of units of alcohol contained is clear on all labeling."
While some manufacturers voluntarily put information about units of alcohol on its bottles and cans, there is no standard format.
The Department of Health said the Cabinet Office is considering a number of issues, including placing information on labels. Its National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy is scheduled for publication in the fall.
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