New Wine Laws in UK

Filed in archive Wine Laws on June 5, 2007

It's interesting as an "ugly American" to read about wine laws in different countries. It just shows how cultures can vary in their tolerance or lack of tolerance when it comes to wine and alcohol consumption.

With our history or Prohibition, the U.S. probably has some of the most strict rules and laws governing this issue, but then again, maybe not. Here's an eye-opening article on some new changes in the works in England, Wine lovers targeted to cut binge drinking:

Today's Government strategy, being launched by Vernon Coaker, the Home Office minister, and Caroline Flint the health minister, is expected to widen the focus beyond teenagers and binge drinkers.

"We want to target the older drinkers, those that are maybe drinking one or two bottles of wine at home each evening. They do not realise the damage they are doing to their health and that they risk developing liver disease," a Whitehall source said.

"There are growing numbers of people turning up in hospital with drink-related diseases and injuries. They are getting younger and more of them are turning up needing treatment."

The Government strategy comes after Dr Nathanson called for further labelling and information measures in pubs and bars.

"People may think that one glass of wine equals one unit, but the new measures are two units and the big glasses are three units," she said.

"If I go out and buy a bottle of wine or some cans of beer that's fine, but the trouble is when you're in a pub you don't ask to inspect the back of a bottle of wine, so we do need a form of labelling that goes up in pubs and restaurants.

"On the wine list it would say at the front whether wines were high, medium or low strength, and how many units in a bottle or different size glasses. There could be similar posters in pubs.

"This is not about the nanny state, but the information state. The state's job is to give people information so that they can make informed choices."