Is there something you should know before having that drink?

(Image: Flickr / michaelnugent)

While specific mandatory labeling of standard drink sizes and the health effects of alcohol would certainly be a welcome addition on alcohol packaging in Canada...the motivation behind a recent U.S. announcement regarding nutrition labels on alcohol is questionable. 

The Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau recently released voluntary guidelines for the use of Nutrition Serving Facts statements on both labels and in product advertisements.

Given the guidelines are voluntary there are many in the industry who will choose not to use nutrition labels.  For others this will serve as another marketing tool to promote lower calorie wines or ready mixed drinks / coolers to their biggest growing consumer group – women.  

What do health experts say?

1)     Michael Jacobson from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest had the following to say about the recent ruling in a CBC News report:

“It doesn’t reflect any concern for public health” and “Including fat and carbohydrates on a label could imply that an alcoholic beverage is positively healthful, especially when the drink's alcohol content isn't prominently labeled.”

2)     In a review of alcohol labeling policy worldwide, the authors concluded that

“Current evidence seems to support prompt inclusion of a list of ingredients, nutritional information (usually only kcal) and health warnings on labels. Standard drink and serving size is useful only when combined with other health education efforts. A definition of ‘moderate intake’ and recommended drinking guidelines are best suited to other contexts.”

3)     Gerald Thomas states in an article on teen girls and drinking in the Toronto Star, that

“Alcohol is one of the only, if not the only product for sale in Canada that can kill you, without a warning (label).”

4)     Michael Perley, long-standing anti-tobacco advocate with the Ontario Council for Action on Tobacco advised at the 2012 Alcohol Policy Forum, that health warning labels would be a good first step in moving things forward.  At this point in time, many individuals are not aware of the myriad health effects related to the consumption of alcohol. 

So far in Canada, we don’t have similar guidelines for alcohol labeling, nutrition or otherwise.  But more than 75% of all respondents in the local 2012 Alcohol Public Opinion survey agreed that there should be health warning labels on alcohol products.  What do you think?  Should alcohol products be labeled?  Should the label include health warnings?  Visit us on facebook and have your say.