UK: Beer labels to advertise alcohol units and responsible drinking

British Beer & Pub Association announced on June 13 that brewers, who produce 85 % of the nation’s beer, will be putting labels on bottle and cans to show how many units of alcohol they contain by the end of this year. ‘Responsible drinking’ messages on packaged beers will more than double in the same period.

A survey by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) shows that 17 major British brewers will have unit labelling as standard on their beers by the end of 2005. As a result, 85 per cent of the beer sold in cans and bottles in the UK will be unit labelled. By the end of the same year, 84 per cent of bottles and cans will also carry a message encouraging people to drink responsibly.

“Not only are we encouraging our customers to drink responsibly, reinforcing the Government’s sensible drinking message, but we are also demonstrating what this really means in practice through the inclusion of unit labelling,” said Mark Hastings, Director of Communications.

“We are committed to enabling people to make better and more informed choices about their drinking behaviour. Helping consumers understand what and how much they are drinking, so they can make better decisions about their consumption, is an important part of this.”

In a move, which is expected to be widely welcomed, by both Ministers and the health community, the industry is seeking to demonstrate its commitment to helping deliver the Government’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. Bottled and canned beer now represents 44 per cent of all beer sold in Britain.

“The rapid expansion of unit labelling and responsibility messaging across British beer is just one example of the steps producers are taking to advance customer understanding of the risks of alcohol misuse,” continued Mr Hastings. “Providing information on units of alcohol and responsible drinking is part of our continuous commitment to improve consumer knowledge.”

1. The British Beer and Pub Association is the UK’s leading organisation representing the brewing and pub sector. Its members account for 98% of the beer brewed in the UK and own nearly two-thirds of Britain’s 60,000 pubs.

2. Unit labelling identifies the number of units of alcohol contained in an individual drink. Providing this information to consumers may assist them in the management of their alcohol consumption. Government guidelines recommend a maximum intake of 2-3 units per day for women and 3-4 for men.

3. The ‘sensible drinking’ message was introduce by the Government in 1995.

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