Booze label health info call wins support

People in the North East back Government plans to include health and nutritional information on alcohol products, according to a new survey.

The YouGov poll asking peoplewhat legal requirements they would like to see for alcohol labelling found:

*75% want the number of units in a product on labels.

*65% want calorie information.

*53% want the amount of sugar on labels.

A separate survey by North East alcohol group Balance found 74% want the Chief Medical Officers’ low risk weekly guidelines of up to 14 units on alcohol included on labels.

The findings come as a group of 94 leading health experts – including charities, medical colleges, academics, and MPs – have written to the Health Secretary calling for better alcohol labelling.

Sue Taylor, acting head of alcohol Policy for Balance, said: “Alcohol is linked to over 60 medical conditions including cancer, and 2020 was the worst year for alcohol deaths for two decades.

“There is strong support for more information.

"People have a right to know what is in their drink so they can try to keep their risks low and make more informed decisions about their consumption.”

She added: “Alcohol provides us with very little in the way of nutrition and may actually impair the way we absorb nutrients but as it stands, the law requires more information to be displayed on a pint of milk than on a bottle of beer or wine.”

Balance with the signatories support providing further health information on alcohol labels, including the Chief Medical Officers’ lowrisk drinking guidelines.