All alcohol bottles sold in Australia to warn against drinking while pregnant
EVERY bottle of alcohol in Australia will have to carry a pregnancy warning label by law, after food ministers moved to make the labels mandatory.
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EVERY bottle of alcohol will have to carry a pregnancy warning label by law, after food ministers moved to make the labels mandatory.
Now public health advocates want alcohol labels to also warn drink can cause cancer.
Alcohol companies had been given seven years to deliver the pregnancy warning labels voluntarily but failed.
Just 75 per cent of bottles currently carry the warnings and the nation’s food ministers yesterday acted to make them mandatory.
The labels will include a pictogram and a warning statement that will be developed by the Forum requested Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
No timeline has been set for the change but ministers want it to “expeditiously”.
There is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and women who consume alcohol place their child at risk of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, a form of brain damage that causes learning and behavioural problems.
Surveys show almost half of all Australia women do consume alcohol while pregnant.
Brewers Association of Australia CEO Brett Heffernan is “not surprised” by the change and said his industry was already 100 per cent compliant.
“While it is disappointing that mandating pregnancy labelling for all packaged alcohol products is necessary, today’s decision by Ministers is a no-brainer. We fully expected this outcome,” he said.
“We are perplexed as to why others in the industry failed to heed the writing on the wall since 2012. The three major brewers got the job done, across hundreds of product labels, in just two years.
Public Health Association chief Terry Slevin applauded the change and said it was important to provide Australian women who are pregnant, or considering pregnancy, with clear and accurate advice about the risks of drinking during pregnancy.
“The next logical step for alcohol warning labels is for Australia to follow Ireland’s lead and introduce mandatory labels which warn of the risks associated between drinking alcohol and developing cancer,” Mr Slevin said.
The landmark law was passed in Ireland today, which will also set a minimum price on alcohol as a further strategy to address the high levels of drinking in the country, he said.
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education chief Michael Thorn welcomed the decision he said came after seven years of delay and obstruction by the alcohol industry.
“This is a win for consumers and a critically important decision that will save lives and the pain that is caused as a result of what is a preventable, but lifelong disability,” Mr Thorn said.
“Because of industry inaction, too many women are unaware of the life-threatening risk of drinking while pregnant. The introduction of an effective mandatory alcohol pregnancy warning message will help insure Australians will be better informed of those dangers.”
Originally published as All alcohol bottles sold in Australia to warn against drinking while pregnant
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