All Alcohol Bottles To Have Pregnancy Warning Labels

To protect women and children


Article heading image for All Alcohol Bottles To Have Pregnancy Warning Labels

Alcohol labels will soon carry warnings for pregnant women following a deal by Australian and New Zealand ministers to protect women and children.

Roughly 70 per cent of companies already have pregnancy warning labels on their bottles after companies were advised to self-implement the strategy in 2011.

Now, authorities are looking to make this figure 100 per cent.

New research into pregnancy and alcohol has revealed that approximately half of all pregnant Australian women drank alcohol during their pregnancy.

Consumption of alcohol while pregnant risks intellectual, behavioural and developmental disabilities in children.

Terry Slevin from the Public Health Association of Australia told the Hit Newsroom that the changes are important for the health of mother and child.

"It's a step forward in trying to tackle major problems like alcohol spectrum disorder, which is increasingly a concern," he said.

"About 44 per cent of women continue to drink during pregnancy and that is not good.

"We think this label will help to further discourage women who are pregnant from drinking, and it's also an idea for those considering falling pregnant to back off the booze as well."

The new label will include an image and warning statement, put together by Food Safety Australia New Zealand.

12 October 2018




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