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U.K.: Alcohol Content Labels Will Replace ‚Misunderstood‘ Units System Under Tory Plans.
„Labels detailing the precise alcoholic content of drinks will replace the ‚misunderstood units‘ system under Conservative plans to warn the public about the dangers of excessive consumption. Unveiling the party’s public health agenda, Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, highlighted the importance of ‚harnessing the power of social norms‘ to combat obesity, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and binge drinking. Greater clarity on food and drink labelling would enable people to adopt healthier lifestyles, he maintained, ‚unleashing a new era of individual and social responsibility‘ that would help to change behaviour. Rejecting the swelling chorus of medical experts demanding minimum pricing controls on alcohol to reduce demand, the party promises significant rises in duty on alcopops, high-strength lagers and ciders. It has also announced that it will use legislation to ban supermarkets selling cheap alcohol as a loss-leader to attract customers into their stores — a policy already introduced by Belgium, France, Portugal and Spain.“ (Source: The Guardian, London, Online, January 13, 2010) Comment: A labour government cannot stand against the alcohol industry, why a conservative government could do it better?