Letters
to the Editor
September 2001 – Warning Labels Not the Answer
The Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia rejects claims
that alcohol companies are ‘preying on young women by advertising
mixed drinks.’
The survey on alcohol consumption released by the Salvation
Army last week provides no evidence to back this up. The survey did
not ask respondents what type of drink was consumed – merely
how many glasses of alcohol were consumed on average each week.
Industry data shows that males consume almost six times
the amount of pre-mixed spirits than females. It also shows that two-thirds
of all pre-mixed spirits sold are dark spirits – bourbon, whisky
and dark rum (not particularly colourful or sweet) – and that
males aged over 25 are by far the predominant consumers of these drinks.
Pre-mixed spirit drinks are a responsible choice for
men and women alike, as they offer convenience, contain a measured
amount of alcohol comparable to beer (compared to mixing their own)
and their sealable nature offers protection against ‘spiking’.
DSICA shares community concerns about alcohol misuse,
but strongly believes that warning labels are not the answer, particularly
amongst at-risk groups. A US study found that ‘among risk drinkers,
the label law clearly has not affected drinking behaviour’. The
Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse said that they have ‘seen
no direct, incontrovertible evidence that applying warning labels
to alcoholic beverage containers has any impact on reducing the problems
associated with abusive drinking’. And last year ANZFA rejected
alcohol warning labels as ineffective and unnecessary.
Carefully targeted education campaigns are the only effective
means of combating alcohol misuse. DSICA alone has spent $5 million
in this area over the last decade, and welcomes the Salvation Army’s
call for more education on a ‘standard drink’ and safe drinking
levels. The impending release of the NHMRC’s revised ‘Drinking
Guidelines’, and the Government’s new $115 million Alcohol
Education and Rehabilitation Fund provide real opportunities for government,
industry, health and community organisations to work together and
achieve far more than a simple warning label ever could.
Gordon Broderick
Executive Director
Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia Inc (DSICA)
