Smirnoff, Gordon’s Gin, Baileys and Captain Morgan will be the first of Diageo’s alcohol brands to provide consumers in the UK with new health guidance on pack. The move makes Diageo the first major alcohol company in the country to introduce a voluntary health warning.
The enhanced health information will direct people to DRINKiQ.com, a resource which aims to give consumers the knowledge and tools to make informed choices around alcohol. The drinks giant has recently relaunched the website to provide additional information and support on controlling alcohol consumption.
The updated labels are currently in production and will first appear on 70cl and 1L bottles of Smirnoff as well as 1L bottles of Gordon’s Pink Gin in early 2021. Baileys and Captain Morgan will follow and then on pack across all brands in GB as old stocks are replaced.
Today’s announcements follow the launch of Society 2030: Spirit of Progress, Diageo’s 10-year sustainability action plan that in part focuses on positive drinking, and commits to a step change in Diageo’s work globally on preventing underage drinking, drinking and driving and heavy episodic (binge) drinking over the next decade.
The company stated that the relaunch of DRINKiQ will help deliver on the company’s ambitious target to reach one billion people with dedicated messages of moderation through its brands by 2030.
Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director 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.”
As well as retaining information previously displayed, information on the new labels will include the up-to-date Chief Medical Officer’s guidance, IARD’s 18 age restriction commitment, and a new enhanced warning, “Alcohol may cause health problems. For more information, visit DRINKiQ.com”.
