Prominent health warning labels on alcoholic beverages are essential for raising awareness that consuming alcohol can lead to cancer. This simple and inexpensive measure can empower consumers to make informed choices that can help reduce alcohol-related harms. A new report from WHO/Europe, ?Alcohol health warning labels: a public health perspective for Europe?, underscores the urgent need for mandatory, standardized labelling on alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol causes about 800 000 deaths annually in the WHO European Region, home to the heaviest drinkers in the world. Many countries of the Region have yet to make significant progress in implementing alcohol harm reduction policies. Despite cancer being the leading cause of alcohol-attributable deaths in the European Union (EU), public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains alarmingly low.

Our right to know: closing the information gap

A WHO/Europe study featured in the report, conducted across 14 European Region countries, revealed a striking gap in awareness: only 15% of respondents knew that alcohol causes breast cancer, and just 39% were aware of its link to colon cancer. These cancers account for the highest proportion of alcohol-related cancers in the EU among women (breast cancer) and men (colon cancer).

?Clear and prominent health warning labels on alcohol, which include a specific cancer warning are a cornerstone of the right to health, because they empower individuals with vital information to make informed choices about the harm alcoholic products can cause. Providing this information does not take anything away from consumers, on the contrary, it arms them with knowledge, and knowledge is power,? says Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

Alcohol health warning labels are currently implemented in only 3 out of 27 EU countries and only 13 out of the 53 WHO European Region Member States, leaving consumers unaware of the risks they face.

Key findings and policy recommendations

• Mandatory labelling.The impact of health warnings depends on design, content and placement on the labels. Countries should mandate health warning labels on alcohol products rather than rely on self-regulation of alcohol producers, as these may opt for inconspicuous placement and ambiguous messaging.

• Prominent health warning labels.Alcohol products should display clear and prominent health warnings. These can be presented in text-only format or combined with pictograms to maximize reach and empower consumers with clear, accurate information to make informed choices about their health.

• Cancer warnings. Research involving nearly 20 000 participants from 14 European Region countries found that cancer warnings on alcohol labels significantly boost awareness of alcohol's cancer risks. Labels featuring cancer warnings are more likely to spark conversations about alcohol risks and discourage consumption compared to other types of health messages.

• Beyond QR codes.The alcohol industry generally supports the introduction of QR codes on products, allowing consumers to seek out further health information should they wish. However, a pilot study showed that only 0.26% of shoppers scanned QR codes for health information, underscoring the importance of visible, on-pack labels.

Beyond awareness: shaping norms, policies and culture

?Alcohol health warning labels are an important part of alcohol policy, serving multiple functions,? explains Dr Gauden Galea, Strategic Adviser to the Regional Director, Special Initiative on Noncommunicable Diseases and Innovation at WHO/Europe. ?They empower consumers to make informed decisions, raise awareness of alcohol-attributable health risks, can increase public support for alcohol policies, and reduce the overall appeal of alcohol products, ultimately influencing social norms around drinking. For younger generations especially, mandatory alcohol health warning labels could help shape healthier behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol.?

Data included in the report further shows wide support for the inclusion of strong alcohol-related harm warnings on product labels in the EU, with more than three quarters of respondents supporting it.

Health warning labels: a well-known and endorsed strategic action

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan sets the target of achieving a relative reduction of at least 10% in alcohol use by 2025, and one of the key activities in the Plan is the development of proposals for providing nutritional and health information on alcoholic beverages.

Similarly, both the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022?2030 and the European Framework for Action on Alcohol 2022?2025, endorsed and adopted respectively by all WHO Member States, propose priority actions to address alcohol-related harms, which include development and implementation of labelling requirements for alcoholic beverages.

Building on existing evidence, Ireland has enacted a new law requiring cancer warning labels on alcohol-containing products starting in 2026, making Ireland the first country in the EU and the second country worldwide (after South Korea) to introduce cancer warnings on alcohol products.

Source:WHO Europe