4 ALCOPOPS = 4 DOUGHNUTS

Health information labels needed for alcohol

Thursday May 6, 2008

Family First Media release

A Senate inquiry into alcohol laws was today told that many people may cut back on the amount of alcohol they drink, if only they knew how many calories were in each glass.

"Australia has an obesity epidemic, yet food labelling laws do not require alcohol labels to inform people of the nutritional content of what they are drinking," Family First leader Steve Fielding said today.

"We are fighting an obesity epidemic and a binge drinking problem and health information labels on alcohol would help both.
"The Australian Bureau of Statistics says more than half of all adults are overweight or obese."

Pre-mixed drinks or alcopops contain as many as 280 calories in each drink. A glass of beer has more than 150 calories and a glass of champagne or wine as much as 95 calories. A doughnut has 120 to 200 calories.

The Senate Community Affairs Committee is today hearing evidence in Melbourne from expert witnesses on Family First's Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill.

Family First has introduced legislation to restrict alcohol advertising to after 9pm, end the self regulation of alcohol advertising and put health information labels on all alcohol products.

"Last week a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that 72 per cent of people support restricting television advertising of alcohol until after 9.30pm and 71 per cent support adding health information labels to alcohol," Senator Fielding said.

"Alcohol kills three times more Australians than all illicit drugs combined. It costs Australia $15.3 billion dollars a year mopping up after excessive drinking.

"Yet there are no requirements for bottles to display basic health messages, like the number of standard drinks it is safe to consume.

"Alcohol companies print information on bottles or cans showing the number of standard drinks in each. That's great. But how can families make good use of that information without knowing the number of standard drinks they can have without damaging their health?"

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Website Source: www.stevefielding.com.au