No health warnings on booze, says EC
The European Commission (EC) will not force manufacturers to put cigarette-style health warnings on booze in a bid to tackle binge drinking.
In its long-awaited alcohol harm reduction strategy, published last week, the Commission fell short of calling for further advertising or labelling restrictions on industry, and instead urged companies to self-regulate.
“Acknowledging the role of member states in this policy area, we do not intend to propose legislation at European level,” said European health and consumer protection commissioner Markos Kyprianou. “The Commission seeks to actively support member states’ measures to reduce the harm caused by alcohol abuse.”
The strategy document, which was welcomed by the drinks industry but slated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), also said the EC would fund national initiatives to tackle alcohol misuse and host an alcohol and health forum next June.
However, health lobby groups said the document represented a “huge missed opportunity”. A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said: “This is a massive disappointment. Basically, it just throws the ball back into the court of the industry and individual member states. Simply recognising the problem isn’t going to solve it.”
Dr Peter Anderson, author of the EC-commissioned study Alcohol in Europe report, said the final draft was "much weaker than the first one”
The European Alcohol Policy Alliance, an alliance of 46 NGOs working on the prevention of alcohol-related harm, added: “Given that the industry has made it abundantly clear that it is opposed to the whole idea of a public health strategy on alcohol, how can it possibly be seen as a main collaborator in implementing it?”
However, the European Forum for Responsible Drinking applauded the EC for “rejecting attempts [from lobby groups] to hijack the strategy”
