ALCOHOL LABELLING

That this House notes the recent publication of The Human Cost of Alcohol - Doctors Speak Out by the British Medical Association Scotland; recognises that those in the medical profession have a far greater understanding than most of the true extent and cost of alcohol misuse in the UK; further notes the range of recommendations made in the report to reduce excessive drinking, including steps to control price and availability and increase awareness of the amount of alcohol in drinks; further notes that, 10 years after the drinks industry introduced a voluntary code of practice for alcoholic labelling, only 3 per cent. of products were found to contain all the information required, and 43 per cent. of products contained no information at all; acknowledges previous research from the USA which found that mandatory labels on alcoholic beverages increased knowledge regarding the risks of drink-driving and drinking during pregnancy; and therefore calls on the Government to introduce legislation to make clear and consistent labelling of alcoholic products a legal requirement.