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Alcohol Warning Labels: Current Rules May Allow Health Warnings to Go Unnoticed

HRD-89-118 Published: Jun 14, 1989. Publicly Released: Aug 03, 1989.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms' (BATF) implementation of the Alcoholic Beverage Labelling Act of 1988.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Treasury To help ensure that the warning statement is legible, conspicuous, and prominent, the Secretary of the Treasury should direct BATF to specify in its final regulations: (1) that the words GOVERNMENT WARNING be capitalized and in bold type; (2) the minimum space and lettering requirements for the warning statement; and (3) detailed criteria to ensure that the statement is prominently displayed to better inform consumers of the warning.
Closed – Implemented
On February 14, 1990, BATF issued final rules implementing the Alcoholic Beverage Labelling Act of 1988. The final rules incorporated this recommendation to make the warning labels conspicuous and readily legible.

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Topics

Health Care
Substance abuseAlcoholic beveragesConsumer protectionHealth hazardsInformation disclosureLabeling lawRegulatory agenciesSafety regulationSafety standardsWarning labels