One in five alcohol products lack pregnancy warnings, despite regulations being in place for four years

The alcohol industry has been called out for dragging its feet on mandatory pregnancy warning labels, after new research revealed one in five alcohol products do not carry the required warning, despite being given four years to do so. The Australian study, by The George Institute for Global Health, analysed more than 12,500 alcohol products sold in major Australian outlets. It found that 78 per cent had a pregnancy warning in 2024 compared to 63 per cent in 2023. Drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause lifelong harm to unborn children, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Regulations to make the pregnancy warnings mandatory were introduced in Australia in 2020. Lead author Simone Pettigrew, head of health promotion at the global research institute and a professor at The University of NSW, said the findings showed the industry was failing to meets its responsibilities. “This is a simple thing to do and many products now have the label. The ones that haven’t are often those with the highest alcohol content that can be most dangerous for unborn babies,” she said. “Warnings can save lives, but not when they’re hidden on the back or bottom of packs or missing altogether. “We need stronger rules and enforcement to protect babies, not industry profits.” Professor Pettigrew said the Government needed to tighten regulations by requiring front-of-pack placements for the label, applying regulations to products on shelves rather than packaging dates and enforcing penalties for non-adherence. Companies were given three years to transition to having labels on their products - a grace period that has long since expired. Despite the lengthy transition time, 22 per cent of alcohol products assessed in the study still did not display the warning in 2024. Prevalence was lowest for spirits, with only 66 per cent of those products being labelled with a pregnancy warning in 2024, despite having the highest alcohol content. Alcohol produced in Australia and New Zealand was more likely to display pregnancy warnings. The proportion of local products with the labels increased from 64 per cent in 2023 to 80 per cent in 2024. Imported products rose from 60 per cent in 2023 to 71 per cent in 2024. Most warnings were also hidden on the back or bottom of packaging, with only one per cent on the front. The study, funded by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, said the issue may have linked to a provision in the rules, which meant industry did not have to include the warnings on products labelled on or after August 1, 2023. However, researchers said it was impossible to determine which companies were not being compliant, as product packaging timing information was not available.