Alcoholic beverage warning labels may encourage reduced drinking, researchers find

A new US study finds that new alcoholic beverage labels carrying warnings about the risk of specific disease risks, including cancer and liver disease, could more effectively motivate consumers to drink less than current warnings. 

The study involved a nationally representative sample of 1,036 adults of legal drinking age (21 and older) who reported drinking at least once a week. It compared the effects of differently worded and designed warning labels.

“We wanted to test whether new warnings could better inform consumers about alcohol’s harms and better encourage people to consider cutting back on their drinking,” says lead author Anna Grummon, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, US.

Despite the US mandating warning labels on alcoholic beverages, alcohol-related deaths have risen steadily over the past two decades, the study authors stress.

The warning label currently required on US alcohol containers has not changed since its adoption in 1988, despite new evidence linking alcohol to several diseases. For instance, recent research has found that any amount of alcohol consumption raises dementia risk, challenging the previously held beliefs on the benefits of light drinking.

The current US warning label states the risks of drinking during pregnancy and while driving or operating machinery and warns generally that drinking alcohol “may cause health problems.”

Authors of the new paper stress that this label often goes unnoticed and unremembered by consumers, adding that it lacks several key elements of well-designed warnings. In particular, they say the warning is long, displayed in small text, and does not refresh its content over time.

Cancer warnings are most effective

In their paper published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, participants viewed the current US warning label and nine new warning labels in random order. Afterward, they rated each message on how well it encouraged them to drink less alcohol, reminded them of alcohol’s harms, and informed them of something new. 

The nine warning labels covered risks for cancer, colorectal cancer, liver disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), dementia, breast cancer, depression or deteriorated mental health, and early death.

“Each participant rated multiple warnings covering a range of health harms, so we could make direct, apples-to-apples comparisons between them,” Grummon says.

Researchers argue that the current US alcohol label lacks several key elements of well-designed warnings, which could lead to consumers ignoring its guidance.

All the new alcohol warnings in the study outperformed the current US warning label. However, those flagging cancer risk were particularly effective. The authors say this finding is significant as policymakers in the US and abroad are debating whether to adopt a cancer warning on alcohol products. 

“Ireland, for example, is set to require cancer warnings on alcohol containers in the coming years, and Alaska already requires a cancer warning to be posted in bars, restaurants, and liquor stores where alcohol is sold,” says Grummon. 

“Our findings suggest these policies could help people understand the risks of drinking and potentially reduce consumption.”

Effectiveness of warning icons

Participants also rated the effectiveness of six warning label icons, including a triangle, octagon, person with hair, person with no hair, diamond, and magnifying glass. They tended to perceive triangles and octagons as more effective and attention-grabbing than other icons, such as a magnifying glass.

Limitations of the study included that the participants had only a single exposure to each warning, so reactions after repeated exposures are undetermined. Additionally, the research measured how effective people thought the messages were rather than tracking their actual changes in behavior.

The way the products were presented also played a role, since beer, wine, and liquor were shown together. Researchers did not determine if a warning’s impact changes based on the type of alcohol it refers to.

Finally, the visual design was limited to white text on a black background and yellow icons, meaning that the researchers don’t know if other color schemes, such as high-contrast red and white, might produce different or even better results.

In further research, Grummon and Hall are currently running a randomized trial to test whether new alcohol warnings effectively lead people to drink less. This upcoming study will also measure whether the warnings improve knowledge of alcohol-related harms over time.

“We know from tobacco control that well-designed warnings can inform consumers and encourage healthier choices,” says Grummon. 

“Given that alcohol-related deaths are increasing, we hope policymakers will consider whether updating alcohol warnings should be part of a broader strategy to address alcohol-related harms.”