Jonathan Ashworth announces plan for mandatory alcohol labelling as part of alcohol strategy

The Labour Party has today announced that strict labelling on alcoholic products will be mandatory under a Labour government.

Alcoholic products will have to include the products’ alcohol content in units, nutritional information, pregnancy warnings, and the Chief Medical Officer’s drinking guidelines clearly on any packaging as part of a package of measures announced by Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary to help tackle alcohol misuse.

Ashworth has already pledged to make tackling addiction and its impact on families a priority with previous pledges including:

• ·         Rolling out Alcohol Care Teams across hospitals;
• ·         Fully funding alcohol addiction recovery treatment services;
• ·         A national strategy to support families and children of substance misuse, backed up by clear national standards;
• ·         Better links between alcohol addiction treatment services and mental health services.

Announcing the new measures today (Wednesday) at Alcohol Change UK’s national Conference in London, Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, who has spoken of his own experiences growing up with an alcoholic father, will say:

On Alcohol Addiction Services:

“Confronting the devastating social impact of alcohol is not just a priority of mine for very personal reasons but because 20 people a day die as a direct result of alcohol, and 24,000 a year die where alcohol was a factor.

“Yet less than 20 per cent of people in need of treatment for alcohol dependence are getting the support needed after years of deep Tory cuts to local alcohol services. Since 2013/14, drug and alcohol services have been cut by £162million.”

“Those struggling with drink need the very best care possible to help them with their recovery which is why Labour will fully fund alcohol treatment services. The government must now follow our lead by reversing public health cuts in the upcoming Spending Review. When £1 spent on treatment saves the NHS £3.40 it makes no sense for any government minister to continue with these cuts.”

On alcohol labelling:

“Tackling alcohol abuse must be at the heart of the prevention agenda yet there’s more nutritional information on a carton of milk than a bottle of wine.

“It’s time for full transparency for consumers with alcohol labelling – the current voluntary approach is simply not fit for purpose. The industry hasn’t moved at a pace to keep up with consumers’ expectations who want correct and comprehensive information so they can make fully informed choices.

“It’s an utter abdication of responsibility for government to task the Chief Medical Officer with updating the guidelines and then not oblige the industry to display this vital information on their products.

“No wonder some ask whether we can rely on an industry to promote public health when it’s not in its commercial interests? Excuse the pun, but the industry have been drinking in the last chance saloon for too long.

“Labelling including alcohol content in units, nutritional information, pregnancy warnings, and the Chief Medical Officer’s drinking guidelines must now be made mandatory. If the current government won’t act, then the next Labour government will.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• ·         The only health-related information currently mandated on alcohol labels by EU regulation is alcohol by volume (ABV). Other information currently appearing on some labels in the UK – such as alcohol content in units, pregnancy warnings, and the Government’s low risk drinking guidelines – are provided voluntarily by the industry.
• ·         A survey by the Alcohol health alliance from September 2018 shows that two years after the new guidelines were introduced, two thirds of products still referred to out of date daily or weekly unit limits. This included products that were launched after the publication of the new guidelines.
• ·         Some of these labels suggest that men can safely drink 100% more than what the current guidelines state – clearly not safe of healthy. The AHA also found that products informed UK consumers of the Republic of Ireland unit guidelines.
• ·         Industry has failed to update labels in line with the new 14-unit low-risk guidelines introduced in January 2016, and only 16% of the public are aware of the new guidelines.
• ·         Only one in 10 people link cancer to alcohol consumption, and 80% don’t know how many calories are in a glass of wine (Source: Royal Society of Public Health).
• ·         Research by the AHA has found that less than 10% of alcohol product labels in the UK inform consumers of the guidelines (Source: Alcohol Health Alliance).
• ·         Support for alcohol labelling is high: 70% of people think warnings that exceeding the drinking guidelines can damage one’s health should be displayed on alcohol labels as a legal requirement (Source: Alcohol Health Alliance).