by The government is considering introducing mandatory health warnings against alcoholic beverages, including wine, beer and spirits, in order to draw consumers aware of the risk of cancer.
The proposal takes place as part of a newly published ten-year NHS plan, which highlights the success of similar initiatives in other countries-especially South Korea, in which bottles have to be transmitted against alcohol, cancer and dementia.
The plan requires “a mandatory requirement for alcoholic beverages to show consistent nutrient information and health warning messages”, which, in the view, believes that public awareness of the “health risks of alcohol consumption” would increase and help people make “sound, healthier decisions”.
Currently alcoholic beverages in Great Britain are only necessary to list alcohol according to volume (ABV) and allergens. While some manufacturers voluntarily have additional health information – including the guideline of the Chief Medical Officer of no more than 14 units per week – this is not mandatory. In fact, alcohol-free drinks in Great Britain often contain more detailed nutritional and health information than alcohol-containing products.
The NHS plan aims to bring alcohol identification in accordance with tobacco, food and non-alcoholic drinks. A public consultation will be expected in the coming months.
The proposals were welcomed by medical groups, but the representatives of the industry have the return of the plans “disproportionate” and could damage the economy. Accordingly The timesOther proposed alcohol-related measures-and the minimum prices for units and advertisingworms already dropped from the alcohol industry after lobbying.
Industry leaders who are supported by the Ministry of Finance and the business department argue that additional restrictions would endanger jobs and accelerate the closures of the pub – in particular, since the Hospitality sector continues to recover from the economic effects of the increase in the national insurance of last year.
Alcohol abuse remains an important problem in public health in Great Britain, which estimates the NHS an estimated £ 27.4 billion per year. Around 3 percent of the total NHS budget are spent on the treatment of alcohol-related diseases.
In its report, the NHS gives international examples to support the case for changes. “Mandatory health warriors have proven to be effective to fix alcohol damage in other countries, including South Korea,” the plan said.
In South Korea, all alcoholic beverages have to wear prominent labels that indicate that “alcohol is a carcinogen” that can cause liver and stomach cancer. Other warnings indicate: “Excessive drinking causes stroke, memory disorders or dementia.”
Ireland will introduce similar labeling laws next year. Last month, several British medical organizations asked the British government to follow the example, and found that many drinkers are not aware of the connection of alcohol to at least seven types of cancer.
The World Health Organization has described cancer -specific warning names as a “promising instrument” and explains that they have “a unique influence on the knowledge of consumers”.
At the beginning of this year, former US general surgeon Vivek Murthy called for cancer warnings in the United States and found that “the majority of Americans are not aware of this risk”, which contributes to an estimated 100,000 cancer and 20,000 deaths in the USA annually.
Minister of Health Wes Streeting, however, should be more careful. Instead of concentrating on moderate drinkers, he reports on the 4 percent of strong drinkers who consume 30 percent of alcohol and make up the majority of the 10,000 annual alcohol -related deaths in Great Britain.
