Canadian health experts call for warnings on alcohol packaging

As of Aug. 1, Canada will see new images on cigarette packages showing the health effects of smoking. New in the rotation are warnings about colon cancer, mouth cancer, and a baby surrounded by second-hand smoke.

These often-disturbing pictures have been required on Canadian cigarette packages for more than 25 years. Rob Cunningham from the Canadian Cancer Society says they’re part of the reason smoking has declined.

“In 2001, when pictures were first required, smoking prevalence in Canada was in the high 20s. We’re now down to 11 per cent of the population,” says Cunningham.

Some experts say similar types of warnings could be just as effective on alcohol packaging.

Ian Culbert from the Canadian Public Health Association says customers should be aware that alcohol, like tobacco, is classified as a group 1 carcinogen.

“Anything more than two standard drinks per week increases dramatically the potential for developing one of eight different cancers,” says Culbert.

He pointed to a study done in the Yukon, which added labels to bottles showing a health warning and the number of standard drinks in the container.

“People notice them, they learn from them, they reported reducing their drinking,” says Culbert. “In fact, sales of products carrying these enhanced labels declined by 6.6 per cent during the study.”

A bill currently before the senate proposes adding a text warning to all alcoholic drink packaging. Cunningham supports that bill, and hopes it could be expanded upon in the future.

“It may be that you would start with a text only message for alcohol, which was a historical experience for cigarettes in Canada before moving to pictures,” he says.