Alcohol Health Alliance UK. (2020) Drinking in the dark: how alcohol labelling fails consumers. London: Alcohol Health Alliance UK.
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In this study we reviewed a random sample of 424 alcohol containers on shop shelves in October 2019 to assess whether labels included the UK’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) low-risk drinking guidelines and other essential pieces of information that would allow consumers to make informed choices.
We found:
- More than 70% of the labels that we reviewed still did not include the official, up-to date low-risk drinking guidelines; more than three years after they were updated.
- The industry-funded Portman Group styles itself as the alcohol industry’s “social responsibility body” and “leader in best practice” but 98% of its members’ labels reviewed in this study failed to include the correct CMOs’ low-risk drinking guidelines.
- Nearly a quarter of the labels we surveyed contained misleading, out-of-date health information, such as the old UK guidelines or guidelines from other countries.
- Brand name products were even less likely than supermarket own brands to display the correct low-risk guidelines.
- Almost all (97%) labels displayed a pregnancy warning logo, but only 15% of labels included written information about the risks of drinking during pregnancy.
- Just one of the 424 labels we surveyed featured a factual health warning to explain that alcohol consumption is harmful to health; the remainder included nothing about alcohol-related health risks.
- Over seven in ten labels failed to list the ingredients in the product (72%).
- More than half (56%) of labels included no nutritional information. 37% of labels listed the calories without any further information, and just 7% displayed full nutritional information including calories.
- 73% of labels did not include a warning about drink-driving.
- Over 92% of labels did not include a warning about drinking underage (under 18).
Item Type
Report
Publication Type
International, Open Access, Report
Drug Type
Alcohol
Intervention Type
Harm reduction
Date
August 2020
Pages
54 p.
Publisher
Alcohol Health Alliance UK
Corporate Creators
Alcohol Health Alliance UK
Place of Publication
London
EndNote
Related (external) link
Subjects
A Substance use and dependence > Prevalence > Substance use behaviour > Alcohol consumption
B Substances > Alcohol
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Prevention approach > Prevention through information and education
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health related issues > Health information and education
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Substance industry, trade or business
N Communication, information and education > Information use and impact
VA Geographic area > Europe > United Kingdom
B Substances > Alcohol
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Prevention approach > Prevention through information and education
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health related issues > Health information and education
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Substance industry, trade or business
N Communication, information and education > Information use and impact
VA Geographic area > Europe > United Kingdom
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