Wine
Wine Campaigners Step Up Their Fight For Clearer Alcohol Labelling After Stark BMJ Cancer Warning
People must be made aware of the alcohol content of the wine they drink if the risk of drinkers developing cancer is too be reduced, wine campaigners insisted yesterday.
WineOption.org, who campaign for radical change in the wine industry, made their comments after a new study in The British Medical Journal found that one in 10 of all cancers in men and one in 33 in women were caused by past or current alcohol intake.
Research by The World Cancer Research Fund has already shown that a person drinking one large 250ml glass of wine each night would have 7% lower risk of bowel cancer if they drank 10% strength wine rather than 14%.
This led to calls by the Fund for consumers to be made more drink-aware and for retailers to encourage the sale what they described as ‘weaker wines’.
Now WineOption.org have stepped up their campaign to put pressure on the wine industry, supermarkets and the Government to help people make informed choices when it comes to buying and drinking wine.
“Most people have no idea how much alcohol is in their wine glass if they go to a pub or restaurant because it is never made clear,” said WineOption.org spokesman Simon Green.
“This latest study by the BMJ only adds to our determination to put pressure on all relevant bodies to get this changed!
“The alcohol content of wine has been steadily creeping up over the years without people realising. These days just one large glass of wine contains more alcohol than a pint of beer and people don’t even realise.”
WineOption.org was founded in 2010 by ordinary members of the public. The group has recently relaunched its website in response to the public‘s support for its aims.
The website is a platform allowing the public to voice their anger and concern about wine industry practices. WineOption.org has won the support of leading wine scientist and critic Jamie Goode, who contributes occasional guest columns.
Added Green: “The World Cancer Research fund has already called for more low-alcohol wines and beers to be available and still no one is listening.
“Supermarkets also insist on stocking more and more high-alcohol ‘monster’ wines and the labels on the bottles remain so unclear as to alcohol content people, unwittingly buy stronger and stronger wine. This has to change!”
At the time of the WCRF a study in 2010, Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager, said: "From a cancer prevention point of view it is best not to drink at all.
"But we have to be realistic, and the fact is that many people in the UK enjoy a drink and see it as part of their social life.
"Making this change might seem quite minor to do, but it could have a real impact on cancer risk.
"If everyone who drinks 14% wine at the moment switched to lower-alcohol wine tomorrow, for example, it is likely hundreds of cancer cases in the UK a year could be prevented."
Tagged in Alcohol