Why does alcohol get a free pass when it comes to warning labels? The government requires warning labels on cigarettes which can kill after decades of use. Alcohol posoining can kill in a person the same day. So why no warning labels on alcoholic beverages?
They do:
Government Warning: (1)Accordingto the surgeon general, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects.
(2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.
Still, the warnings on cigarette packs are much more emphatic, and in some cases, even advise the user to quit using the product.
Probably the reason alcohol warnings aren’t as emphatic as those on cigarette packages is that moderate consumption of alcohol does still get a pass, while that’s not the case with tobacco. No one’s saying a couple of cigarettes a day won’t hurt you or might even be good for you, as they do, for example, with red wine.
I checked all my alcohol. My bottle of Irish Whiskey has a warning. My bottles of Napolean Brandy, Kahlua and Irish Cream have a warning. My bottles of wine and beer have a warning. I haven’t seen any alcohol without the warning.
Okay, someone else needs to list all their alcohol so I don’t feel like such a lush now.
Were you looking for a specific warning such as “drinking lots of alcohol at one time is a bad idea”? I think it’s covered in the “may cause health problems” part of the warning. There are still a lot of warnings where the government doesn’t feel they need to go into detail because people should still have some common sense. The government doesn’t know us very well, do they?
My only bottle that doesn’t have a warning is the Seagram’s VO that I got at Canadian duty-free. I’m not sure if Canada doesn’t have labelling, or if it’s just a duty-free thing.
Wile E Yes I was thinking about a warning like "Drinking too much of this product in a short time span can kill you. " About once a year I’ll read a story about some kid dying from alcohol poisoning. I know when I was a kid I had no idea too much alcohol could do more than give me a hangover. Since alcohol, and hard liquor in particular can kill you within a matter of hours shouldn’t the warning be a bit stronger than “May cause health problems.” I see death as more than just a health problem.
it seems these days people have all of the spectacularly bad things alcohol can do you to drilled in to their heads by school systems and general publications that it’s almost safe to assume that people KNOW that bad things happen when you drink too much. Of course, that doesn’t stop the occasional dimwit form doing just that, and frankly, a warning to that effect would do nothing to stop said dimwit.
I didn’t look at all my bottles, but a quick survey shows that all of them do except two bottle of Chivas Royal from the Rainbow Bridge Duty free do not have a warning. The bottle of Seagrams Orange Twisted Gin from same store, however, does. Guess I’ll stick to the Chivas, since it won’t cause any nasty health problems.
Well I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with the powerful liquor lobby in Washington. Not that there is one, mind you. If there were, I’m sure we’d hear about it. So I’m as mystified as anyone. Oh, wait, I just looked at my Jack Daniels label. Yup, there’s a warning label. At least I think that’s what it is. My vision’s too blurry to read it. Guess I’ll have 'nother one.
No, I’m not really drinking. It’s just late, I’m tired, pissy because I can’t sleep and not looking forward to my father-in-law’s 90th birthday party tomorrow (why can’t they just let the poor SOB sleep!?)
I can see it now.
“ACHTUNG! Drinking may lead to dancing.”
Liquor bottles here carry warnings, often only in Thai, though.
However, the cigarette-package warnings are some scary stuff. Now they carry large photos of diseased lungs, cancerous mouths, etc, on every pack.
The point is they do warn you that health problems can occur if you consume it. They don’t need ti list every dumb thing that you can do with it to hurt yourself.
Acute fatal alcohol poisoning is pretty rare, because people usually pass out before drinking enough. To die, you have to do something like chug a fifth of vodka, so that even after you pass out, there’s still more alcohol waiting in your stomach.
WARNING: Reading this post on a laptop while driving may cause an accident! Poster not to be taken internally.
It’s much easier to OD on Tylenol.
As opposed to the shamefully covered-up and virtually unknown dangers of smoking? :dubious:
*Fuck *warning labels. People should know better. I don’t need a giant yellow mother-fucking sticker on my car that says “Inattentive Driving or Speeding Can Kill.” I don’t need it on my cigars or on my booze either. Fortunately, the FDA does not currently have jurisdiction over alcohol (or cars).
Your parents can tell you that. Your teachers can tell you that every once in a while too, if they like. But don’t bug me about it every time I want to sit back and relax. Next thing you know, I’ll have to sign a waiver every time I walk into a bar to state that “I’ve read the warning written above and I agree to drink responsibly and hereby release said bar staff from any liability related to my health.” It’s hard to kill yourself by alcohol poisoning, by the way. Real tough, I don’t think many people could do it if they tried.
I just wanted to say it one more time, in case it wasn’t clear the first time:
*Fuck *warning labels.
What kind of rock did you live under? Kids hear the stories about people dying from 21 shots on their 21st, etc all the time. I and all of my friends did anyway.
Yet another good reason to lower the drinking age. I think 12 would be a much more manageable number.
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BTW: I have heard that the main reason why there are no nutritional labels on alcohol is that it’s regulated by the ATF, and not the FDA. I have also heard that this will be changing soon (the labels, not the regulation).
Alcohol Warning Labels I Would Like to See:
[ul][li]Warning: May induce sleepiness, drowsiness, euphoria, inability to focus, hyperactivity, inability to sleep, melancholy, inability to change your focus.[/li]
[li]Warning: Overconsumption of this product may make you believe that you can dance.[/li]
[li]Warning: Consuming more than the prescribed amount may make you wake up with something questionable next to you.[/li]
[li]Warning: Consuming more than the prescribed amount may make you wake up with something questionable infecting you.[/li]
[li]Warning: Ingesting this product may result in lost keys, lost time, lost friends, lost morals, lost teeth, lost jobs, lost dignity, and, possibly, lost wills-to-live.[/li]
[li]Warning: Overconsumption of this product may give you the runs.[/li]
[li]Warning: Overconsumption of this product may give you one long Vowel-Movement.[/li]
[li]Warning: Using this product as directed may make you forget how to drive, stand, speak, not get in a fight, use the bathroom without fouling yourself, speak without yelling, and, despite what you may think while using this product, be anything other than an ass.[/li][/ul]