Push for Cancer Warnings on Alcohol Labels
Consumer Federation of America wants to “modernize” alcohol labeling to include cancer warning.
Jul 01, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Consumer Federation of America has asked the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to add statements that link alcohol consumption to cancer on beverage labels. While current warning statements highlighting the health risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant or operating a vehicle seem obvious and familiar, the CFA said the link between alcohol and cancer is not, reports Food Dive.
“The industry has succeeded in putting a health halo around alcohol,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at CFA, in a statement. “The government has the responsibility to give consumers the scientific information they need to make informed decisions about alcohol, just as it does with tobacco.”
The letter highlights research that estimates alcohol to be the third largest contributor to cancer in women and the fourth largest contributor in men. It also points out that back in 1988, the World Health Organization declared alcohol a carcinogen, and that fewer than half of U.S. adults know that alcohol may increase the risk of cancer.
Canada is grappling with the issue. Last year, a small Canadian town added cancer warning labels to wine and liquor bottles, and governments in Ireland and the United Kingdom are looking at similar policies. In California, there is a law that requires signs warning of cancer risk to be posted in restaurants and stores that sell alcohol.
Compliance and regulations
