Public health officials in England have warned establishments that sell alcohol that their lackluster performance on voluntary guidelines to restrict alcohol promotions could lead to tougher laws on sales, BBC News reported July 22.

Health ministers have launched a consultation in which they will work through October to examine potential law changes covering pubs' happy hours, other alcohol promotions and product labeling. The effort is being spurred in part by Department of Health data showing that hospital admissions last year for illnesses either caused directly by or associated with alcohol use topped 800,000.

"The evidence clearly makes this the right time to consult on a far tougher approach to the alcohol industry," said Dawn Primarolo, England's public health minister. Obviously individuals have to take responsibility for their drinking, but others, including the industry, also have a role to play."

There is a growing sense that voluntary codes first introduced in 1998 have fallen short in encouraging sellers of alcohol to engage in responsible behavior. The industry was asked that year to display the number of per-drink units of alcohol on product labels, but a recent survey found that 43 percent of products did not include the information.

Data published in conjunction with the ongoing consultation indicate that low prices have encouraged greater alcohol use among young drinkers and heavy drinkers. Professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, said that overall, one in four adults in England is drinking at levels above the recommended daily amount.

Yet alcohol industry representatives believe new laws are unnecessary and that ministers should build on existing educational efforts to encourage moderate consumption. Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said the law changes that are being discussed simply would make alcohol more expensive for responsible consumers.