Diageo has become the first alcohol company in the UK to introduce a voluntary health warning, with Smirnoff, Gordon’s Gin, Baileys and Captain Morgan the first of its brands to provide UK consumers with new guidance on pack.
As well as retaining information previously displayed, information on the new labels will include the up-to-date Chief Medical Officer’s guidance, IARD’s 18 age restriction commitment, and a new enhanced warning: “Alcohol may cause health problems. For more information, visit DRINKiQ.com.”
The updated labels are currently in production and will first appear on 70cl and 1-litre bottles of Smirnoff as well as 1-litre bottles of Gordon’s Pink Gin in early 2021. Baileys and Captain Morgan will follow and then on pack across all brands in GB as old stocks are replaced.
The new labels will direct individuals to DRINKiQ.com – Diageo’s recently updated and relaunched website that aims to give consumers the knowledge and tools to make informed choices around alcohol.
The updated material available on DRINKIQ.com will include a new self-assessment test, based on the World Health Organisation’s AUDIT (alcohol use disorders identification test) tool, to help people identify whether they may be drinking at harmful levels. Using the information provided, the tool directs individuals at risk to where they can find further information or help from health services.
The self-assessment test will sit alongside existing resources, including the DRINKiQ quiz and lifestyle features, with topics including ‘drinking and your body’ and ‘drinking and your mind’.The quiz aims to communicate key messages about the importance of drinking responsibly by asking users a series of questions on the effects of drinking. The newly enhanced website, which is now live, has been updated to include the latest government guidance around drinking alcohol, with a stronger focus on mental health as well as physical health.
The news follows the launch of Society 2030: Spirit of Progress, Diageo’s 10-year sustainability action plan that in part focuses on positive drinking, and commits to a step change in Diageo’s work globally on preventing underage drinking, drink driving and binge drinking over the next decade. The relaunch of DRINKiQ will help deliver on the company’s ambitious target to reach one billion people with dedicated messages of moderation through its brands by 2030, and the website will provide a vital resource to champion health literacy and tackle harm.
Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director Diageo UK said: “As the UK’s leading spirits producer, we think it is essential that our consumers make informed choices about alcohol. We want to change the way the world drinks for the better, and today’s initiatives are just the first step forward in our long-term global ambition to reach one billion people with messages of moderation over the next ten years.”
