Health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to force drinks producers to include warnings
Cans and bottles of beer, wine and spirits should explicitly warn drinkers that alcohol causes cancer, an unprecedented alliance of doctors, charities and public experts have said.
Warning labels would tackle “shockingly low” public awareness in the UK that alcohol is proven to cause seven forms of cancer and 17,000 cases a year of the disease, they claim.
Dozens of medical and health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to take the radical step of compelling alcohol producers to include such warnings in order to improve public health. The labels must be “bold and unambiguous”, said the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which coordinated the letter.
“The evidence is clear: health labelling on alcoholic drinks is urgently needed in the UK to help save lives,” it said. “They should carry strong, clear messages about the health risks, which include the risk of cancer, far beyond vague advice like ‘consume in moderation’.”
