Arabic version: دراسة تجدّد الدعوة إلى تحذيرات أوضح بشأن الكحول
According to ABC News, an analysis of 6,037 alcoholic drinks sold in Sydney stores found that only one in four carried a voluntary warning label. Public health experts are calling for clearer, more prominent labels that spell out alcohol-related harms, including cancer and liver disease.
The Australian research, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, found most voluntary warnings were directed at particular groups, such as drivers or underage drinkers. Two in three products carried a responsible-consumption message, including “drink responsibly”. Study lead author Asad Yusoff of the George Institute for Global Health said separate research indicated such messages were ineffective and could confuse consumers.
Australia requires pregnancy warnings on drinks containing 1.15 per cent alcohol by volume, but other harm warnings remain voluntary. Australian guidelines advise healthy adults to consume no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four on any one day. Mr Yusoff said many people did not understand that low-level drinking could cause harm, including increased risks of breast and colon cancer.
Mr Yusoff said warnings should be explicit, prominent and placed on the front of packages. Addiction medicine specialist Eric Hadinata said the existing pregnancy warning should also be more visible. Terry Slevin, chief executive of the Public Health Association of Australia, said detailed packaging warnings would help provide consumers with “full, informed consent”.
The United Kingdom and Ireland have committed to mandatory alcohol health-warning messages. Ireland’s laws, due to be implemented in late 2028, will require calorie information and warnings about drinking during pregnancy, liver disease and cancer. There are no plans for comparable mandatory warnings in Australia. Alcohol Beverages Australia said current labels already provide alcohol content, standard-drink information and pregnancy warnings, while a Health Department spokesperson described labels as part of a broader response to alcohol-related harm.
