Alcoholic drinks will carry new health warning labels by the end of 2008 under a voluntary agreement between ministers and the drinks industry. The labels will detail alcoholic units and recommended safe drinking levels. Bottles and cans currently have alcohol percentages but only some state what this equals in alcoholic units.
Public health minister Caroline Flint says exactly what the labels will say is not decided but the warnings will not be as strong as for cigarettes. The measure was first proposed three years ago, but both sides have struggled to agree on a format and it is not known how many drinks firms will sign up for the scheme. However, ministers said if the industry does not comply it will introduce legislation.
The proposed warning labels will include the words such as "know your limits" or "drink responsibly" and include details of the amount of units each drink contains. BBC News
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