Cancer warning labels on alcohol may motivate people to drink less, study says

"The current alcohol warning labels have been in place since 1989, and they warn of the risks of drinking during pregnancy or while driving or operating heavy machinery. They also include a vague notice that alcohol "may cause health problems." But research suggests people tend to tune out these labels, says Anna Grummon, an assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. And she says the labels haven't kept pace with mounting evidence about other serious health harms linked to drinking."

"For example, we've known for many years that alcohol contributes to cancer, but most Americans aren't aware of that link. Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer, behind tobacco and obesity. Testing new language Grummon and her colleagues wanted to see if more specific messages about the health harms of alcohol would do a better job of spreading awareness and motivating people to drink less."

"So they came up with eight new labels warning about a range of health harms linked to drinking like cancer, liver disease, dementia and hypertension. They then had more than 1,000 U.S. adults read them in random order along with a control message and with the current warning. All of the participants were of legal drinking age and said they had at least one drink a week."

"The researchers found that all of the new messages did a better job than the current warning when it came to teaching the study participants something they didn't know about the health risks of drinking, and nearly all were more effective at motivating them to want to cut back. "And the warnings that especially resonated with consumers tended to be abou"

Current alcohol warning labels have been in place since 1989 and warn about pregnancy, driving, and operating heavy machinery, plus a vague notice that alcohol may cause health problems. People often tune out these labels, and they have not kept pace with evidence linking alcohol to serious harms. Alcohol contributes to cancer and is a leading preventable cause of cancer. Researchers tested eight updated warning labels that named specific health harms including cancer, liver disease, dementia, and hypertension. More than 1,000 U.S. adults of legal drinking age read the new labels in random order along with a control message and the current warning. The new messages taught participants more about risks they did not know and nearly all increased motivation to cut back.

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