The UN agency warned relying on industry self-regulation poses risks, as producers may opt to use “inconspicuous placement and ambiguous messaging”.
he World Health Organization has called for “mandatory and standardised” health warning labels on alcoholic beverages in Europe to raise awareness of the links with cancer. The UN agency highlighted an “alarming” lack of public awareness regarding alcohol’s link to cancer. The organisation said a study conducted across 14 European countries found 15% of respondents were aware that alcohol consumption is linked to breast cancer, while 39% recognised its connection to colon cancer.
Breast and colon cancers are the “most prevalent” alcohol-related cancers in the EU affecting women and men respectively, the health organisation said.
Three of the EU’s 27 member states and 13 of the 53 countries classified as part of the WHO’s “European Region” have introduced health warning labels on alcohol, the agency said.
WHO Europe regional director Dr Hans Henri Kluge added: “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.