A recent study published in The Lancet has investigated the effectiveness of alcohol health-warning labels in increasing public awareness about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Conducted across 14 European countries, the online survey included 19,110 participants who consumed alcohol. They were randomly assigned to one of six label conditions to assess how different messages and formats affected their knowledge and perceptions.

The findings revealed that roughly a third of participants exposed to labels linking alcohol to cancer increased their awareness of the cancer risk. Specifically, labels featuring text-only messages, pictograms, and graphic images all significantly raised knowledge levels compared to a control group. Labels focusing on cancer risks were perceived as having the highest impact and relevance, with text-only and pictogram labels seen as clear and acceptable. However, labels with graphic images had lower acceptability and higher avoidance rates. Interestingly, women rated cancer labels as more comprehensible and acceptable than men.

(Source: Lancet – WRD News)