Proposed New Labeling Implies Wine Has Health Benefits

November 16, 1998

ISSUE:

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, part of the U.S. Treasury Department, is again considering a proposal for new labels for wine bottles that will imply to consumers that there are health benefits to be had from drinking wine. These labels would state: "To learn the health effects of moderate wine consumption, send for the Federal Government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans." IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE PROPOSAL TO USE SUCH A LABEL, write to the Treasury Department and to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms asking that they reject the wine labels that make health claims.

ACTION:

Write to the Treasury Department and to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, asking that they reject the proposed wine health claim labels.

Secretary Robert Rubin
U.S. Department of Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20220

Mr. John W. Magaw, Director
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20226

TALKING POINTS:

1. The existing mandated warning labels currently caution that alcohol consumption during pregnancy may lead to birth defects. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO UNDERCUT THIS MESSAGE.

A recent study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that drinking by pregnant women, the cause of fetal alcohol syndrome, is increasing. The authors of that study suggested that "... exposure to recent reports on the health benefits of moderate drinking may have contributed to the recent increase in alcohol consumption."

2. The current version of the Dietary Guidelines was released in 1995. Since then, new research has become available linking "moderate" drinking, particularly by pre-menopausal women, with an increased incidence of breast cancer. The studies indicate that the risk of breast cancer begins to increase at consumption levels as small as one drink per day. The 1995 Dietary Guidelines do not warn women of this risk, and so any label referring to those guidelines would neglect that critical information.

3. Last spring, as part of the initial consideration of the Wine Institute's request, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms asked the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) to conduct a study of how consumers might react to the proposed labels. That study found that 88 percent of existing wine drinkers would not drink more in response to the new labels. This study is now being used as evidence that the proposed labels would not trigger a public health problem.

That CSAP study has two major shortcomings:

- It only tested people who were already wine drinkers. Representatives of the wine industry have been quoted in various industry publications as saying that they hope that the information about "health benefits" will attract new wine drinkers. The CSAP study excluded any look at whether or not proposed health claims would persuade non-drinkers to begin drinking wine.

- The study found that few consumers would heed the suggestion of the proposed label and actually consult the Dietary Guidelines to see what the document said.

4. The proposed label refers to "moderate wine consumption." It does not define the word moderate. In general it has been found that most people define "moderate consumption" as whatever they already do. In essence, the term "moderate" has no specific meaning.

5. When people consume more than one to two drinks of alcohol a day, they are at risk for other health problems. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines warn that "higher levels of alcohol intake raise the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, certain cancers, accidents, suicides, birth defects, and overall mortality. Too much alcohol may cause cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation of the pancreas and damage to the brain and heart." One or two drinks a day and interaction with medication may result in a potential health risk.

BACKGROUND:

Over the past several years, the alcoholic beverage with the fastest growing consumption is wine. Of all alcohol drunk with a meal, 50 percent is wine, 35 percent is beer and 15 percent is hard liquor. Much of that growth has come as a result of an ongoing campaign by the wine industry to convince people that drinking wine will improve one's health.

This campaign has been based on a variety of scientific studies that show that the consumption of a moderate amount of alcohol may reduce the chances of a heart attack for some people. At the same time, however, there is overwhelming evidence that for many others, any drinking may be unhealthy or risk-laden. Even for people who might benefit from moderate drinking, the risks outweigh the benefits as consumption increases.

More than a year ago, the Wine Institute went to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for permission to allow wineries to make indirect "health claims" for drinking wine. Advocacy efforts by those who oppose alcohol abuse have so far stymied plans to sell wine as a health food. The label application is now on "indefinite hold."

GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUIDANCE:

The 1986 General Assembly adopted a report on "The Social and Health Effects of Alcohol Use and Abuse." Included in the section on "Why Focus on Alcohol Alone and on Public Policy?" is that a previous General Assembly had requested the focus and that alcohol is a legal product.

This comprehensive report states: "... The General Assembly encourages and supports personal decision to abstain from alcohol. For those who choose to drink and can do so without becoming dependent, the General Assembly urges a pattern of moderate and responsible drinking behavior. Finally, the General Assembly recommends and supports a comprehensive public policy approach to regulate the availability and use of alcohol in a manner consistent with its special character and the potential risk to persons and society inherent in its use and it continues to recommend and support appropriate treatment of all who are affected by alcohol- related problems."

General principles include: "moderate drinking in low-risk situations should not be opposed" and "effective public policy measures designed to make alcohol less readily available and less attractive, particularly to vulnerable groups or in high-risk situations, should be encouraged and supported."

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention have launched a long-term program to study the effects of alcohol advertising on underage youth. Alcohol producers maintain that their advertising efforts do not encourage underage drinking, despite the clear appeal of the Budweiser frogs and the Miller penguins to adolescents and children.

Congress has also required the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the advertising of alcohol to young people. The Commission recently issued groundbreaking special orders to major alcohol producers requesting information about their youth advertising practices.

In response to a surge of reported alcohol problems on college campuses, the Higher Education Act was changed to provide incentives for college administrations to combat binge drinking.

Despite these victories, there are still challenges ahead. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has launched a major anti- drug youth media campaign which almost totally ignores alcohol--despite the reality that alcohol is the leading drug of abuse and leading drug killer among young people in this country. Also the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should be urged to focus more attention on alcohol issues, ranging from developing media spots to de-glamorize underage drinking to responding publicly to industry propaganda regarding moderate drinking and health.

Additional information can be obtained from:

Alcohol Policies Project
Center for Science in the Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-5728
Tel. (202) 332-9110, ext. 385
E-mail: alcproject@cspinet.org
www.csinet.org