Beer bottles to get health warnings, UK

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 18 Oct 2004 - 11:00 PDT


The UK's largest brewer Scottish & Newcastle is planning to put health warnings on its beer cans and bottles in a bid to encourage more sensible drinking habits.

The company, whose brands include Newcastle Brown Ale, Kronenbourg and Foster's, will list the units of alcohol in each as well as advising drinkers not to exceed the recommended guidelines of three to four units a day for men or two to three for women.

A similar initiative is also being tested by Coors, the producer of top selling lager Carling, with cans displaying the message: "Enjoy Carling, take it easy".

However, Rosie Brocklehurst from Addaction, the national alcohol and drug treatment charity, said that although these latest schemes by the industry are welcomed, there is still more regulation needed to combat the high level of alcohol abuse in the UK.

The UK currently has one of the highest rates of underage drinking in the world and over £20 billion a year is spent as a result alcohol misuse.

Ms Brocklehurst added: "Some big players have been guilty of irresponsible marketing, and of developing alcopops, making vast profits from these tactics, and fanned the binge drinking culture in the process."

http://www.hda-online.org.uk

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