WARNING: New Government Plan On Alcohol Labelling
Under a new government plan, alcoholic drinks are to carry health warning labels under a “voluntary code”. Under the code, manufacturers will label their products with the number of units in each bottle or can, plus details of “government safe drinking limits”.
Of course this is not enough for some state interventionist, such as Labour peer Lord Mitchell, who had previously tried to introduce a Bill to force manufacturers to label their products with advice to pregnant women not to drink. He said, predictably, that: “Anything is better than nothing, but I think it is a bit wishy-washy, I would have preferred something stronger than a voluntary code.”
What is the point of this? People who drink aren’t going to look at a label that says something like ‘Warning: Alcohol can cause liver damage’ or ‘Alcohol can kill’ or ‘Don’t drink too much’ and then do anything more than ignore it and carry on as before. Everyone with even half a brain knows that alcohol can cause problems - just like everything else can if taken in excess.
I’m especially sure that the “government safe drinking limits” will be ridiculously puritanical, which will cause little more than derision cast in their direction.
Education is the only way to cause people to cut down on excessive drinking, in the same way as it has been for smoking. Instead of telling people what they should do, tell them what could happen if they over-indulge. The basest instinct is the will to survive, so threatening the health or life of excessive drinkers through the problems which could arise is the best, and probably only, way to cause a modification in drinking habits.
Source: The Telegraph
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This story has made me the angriest I’ve been for some time!
Can there really be anyone left who doesn’t know that excessive drinking carries health risks? And does anybody think these sorts of labels will get through to them?
Meanwhile the rest of us will have to suffer a diminution in our drinking pleasure. I don’t want to have to be reminded that alcohol can damage the liver every time I buy a can of beer! It’s unpleasant!