Yukon alcohol warning researchers still hopeful, after labels yanked

The new alcohol warning labels are shown in this handout photo (Kate Vallance/ handout)

One of the lead researchers in a recently-halted study to test the use of warning labels on alcohol bottles in Yukon is hopeful the project can begin again soon.

Last November, researchers began placing brightly-coloured warning labels onto liquor, wine and beer bottles sold at the Whitehorse liquor store. Some of the labels warned that alcohol can cause cancer, while others spelled out Canada’s low-risk drinking guidelines.

The project was part of the federally-funded Northern Territories Alcohol Study, to test whether the labels can change alcohol perceptions and behaviours.

The study was supposed to run for eight months, but less than a month into the project, the Yukon Liquor Corporation halted the project, saying several national alcohol companies had “raised concerns” about whether Yukon had the authority to affix the warnings. The companies also voiced concerns about defamation and trademark infringement.

Erin Hobin, a scientist at Public Health Ontario who has been spearheading the project, says she was not directly involved in the conversations with the alcohol industry players who called for the project to be halted. But she told CTV’s Your Morning Tuesday that her understanding “is that one of the main concerns is with the label stating that alcohol can cause cancer.”

That’s despite the fact that several large public health groups, including the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology have reviewed the evidence on drinking and cancer and found a link, Hobin said.

“All have concluded that alcohol can cause at least seven kinds of cancer, including breast and colon cancer,” she said.

Despite the halting of the project, Hobin and her team are continuing talks with partners in Yukon to explore options for moving forward.

“Our research team is disappointed that the project has been put on hold. However, we are hopeful we can resume the study in some capacity,” she said.

Research has shown that 80 per cent of Canadian adults drink, but only 30 per cent are aware that alcohol can cause cancer. Hobin says there is also low awareness of Canada’s low-risk guidelines.

Her team wants to know whether providing this information directly to drinkers in the form of labels will increase awareness or change behaviour.

Similar labels placed on cigarettes and other tobacco products have been shown to make smokers re-think their habit, she said.

“The research looking at the effectiveness of tobacco warning labels has shown that they are indeed effective at making people re-think their choices about smoking, increasing their intentions to cut back on smoking and even to quit smoking.”

Canada’s low-risk drinking guidelines suggest limiting alcohol to: