Diageo adds health warning to spirit bottles

By Éilis Cronin in Alcohol 16th December 2020

Drinks company Diageo is adding a health warning to its Smirnoff, Gordon’s Gin, Baileys, and Captain Morgan bottles, in a move designed to “give consumers the knowledge and tools to make informed choices around alcohol”.

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The health labels will drive shoppers to its DRINKiQ website which provides additional information to “support and educate a range of people with differing levels of alcohol consumption”.

The labels will appear on 700ml and one-litre bottles of Smirnoff as well as one-litre bottles of Gordon’s Pink Gin in early 2021.

Baileys and Captain Morgan will follow and then on pack across all brands in Great Britain as old stocks are replaced.

Diageo has updated its health information to include up-to-date guidance from the Chief Medical Officer, the 18-age restriction commitment, and a new health warning – “Alcohol may cause health problems. For more information, visit DRINKiQ.com”.

The website includes a self-assessment test, a DRINKiQ quiz, and lifestyle topics such as “drinking and your body” and “drinking and your mind”.

Dayalan Nayager, managing director at 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.”