Friday 12 November 2004 11:32am
Health warnings on beer labels
Britain's largest brewer is to put health warnings on its products as part of a drive to promote awareness of sensible drinking.
Scottish & Newcastle wants to help discourage binge-drinking, with other brewers expected to follow its example.
The first bottles and cans of Newcastle Brown Ale featuring the new cigarette packet-style warnings are to roll off the production lines. They are expected to hit the shops in the next few days.
The health warnings will then be rolled out across other Scottish Courage brands, which also include John Smith's bitter, as well as Foster's and Kronenbourg lagers.
The message, which reads: "Responsible drinkers don't exceed 4 daily units (men) and 3 units (women)" will appear alongside the number of alcohol units contained in the pack.
John Dunsmore, managing director of Scottish Courage, said: "Consumers in the UK are becoming more conscious of their alcohol intake thanks, in part, to having a better understanding of the alcohol unit labelling system. The introduction of 'sensible drinking' messages on bottles and cans alongside alcohol unit information will help individuals to make better informed decisions about their alcohol consumption."
Coors, which brews Carling and Grolsch lagers, has already said it will introduce a similar policy next year and other brewers are expected to follow suit as concerns about binge-drinking continue to hit the headlines.
The labels on Scottish Courage brands will also be among the first to carry details of a new responsible drinking website being launched. The drinks industry funded the launch of
www.drinkaware.co.uk, which features an alcohol unit calculator using real brands and serving sizes so users can pinpoint the true number of units they drink per week.
It also offers a simple self-assessment test for people worried about their drinking habits.
Details of the website - run by alcohol industry-funded sensible drinking organisation the Portman Group - will appear on some big-name brand drinks labels.
(c) Copyright Press Association Ltd 2004, All Rights Reserved.