Alcohol labels should warn of cancer risk, urge health groups
Bottles of wine and beer should have warning labels stating that alcohol causes cancer, public health experts have said.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), a charity based in London, has launched a campaign urging the government to require companies to put 'bold and unambiguous' health warnings and calorie information on alcoholic drinks.
One in 25 cases of cancer in the UK — about 17,000 each year — are caused by alcohol, research shows. Alcohol can cause seven types of cancer, including breast and bowel.
A group of health organisations have signed a letter to Sir Keir Starmer demanding a new 'national alcohol strategy', which would include mandatory product labelling.
It is also calling for minimum alcohol pricing of 65p per unit in England — the level already in force in Scotland — as well as marketing and advertising restrictions on alcoholic drinks.
The organisation said that this would reduce cancer risks as well as cutting other deaths from alcohol, after a 42 per cent increase in alcohol-specific deaths between 2019 and 2023.
Alcohol has been shown to cause seven types of cancer
OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES
Kate Oldridge-Turner, head of policy and public affairs at WCRF, said: 'The evidence is clear: health labelling on alcoholic drinks is urgently needed in the UK to help save lives.
'Health warning labels must be bold, unambiguous and completely separate from any marketing on the product. They should carry strong, clear messages about the health risks, which include the risk of cancer — far beyond vague advice like 'consume in moderation'.
'The goal must be to reduce alcohol use, given it increases the risk of seven types of cancer. Even if people continue to drink on social occasions, cutting down their regular intake would be a major step forward.'
A poll of UK adults found that only one in 13 people knew that alcohol increases the risk of cancer and more people thought red wine had health benefits than knew of its cancer risk.
Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at WCRF, said: 'England prides itself on food safety, so why are our alcohol labelling and marketing restrictions far behind so many other countries? Why hasn't there been a national alcohol strategy in England since 2012? And why do bottles of beer show less information than bottles of orange juice?
It is not mandatory in the UK to put health warnings on labels of alcoholic drinks
MATTHEW HORWOOD/GETTY IMAGES
'We urgently need proper public awareness so that people understand the risks that come with drinking alcohol.'
Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: 'One of the reasons public awareness is so low is that we are being kept in the dark about the true cost of drinking. People have the right to know the full picture so that they can make informed choices about what they consume.
'To reduce the impact of alcohol on our health, we need change at a national level. We urgently need a national alcohol strategy to open up honest conversations about the risks of alcohol, while putting measures in place to tackle and prevent its harms.'
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