Units

In November 2016 we launched a public survey, which found high levels of support for including unit information on alcohol products. People have a right to information about the content of products that they consume; however, units are not often considered easy to understand. Labels could help people understand the relative strength of different drinks by making clear comparisons between alcohol units.

The examples below show the units of alcohol in different drinks as a proportion of the most recent weekly drinking guidelines from the UK Chief Medical Officers (14 units per week for men and women). Tell us what you think about ways to make units easier to understand by voting or leaving your comments.

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3 thoughts on “Units”

  1. I think units will affect people in different ways: some people will be more aware of how much they are drinking and cut down but others might be encouraged to drink more and chose drinks that will help them to get drunk faster

  2. I think this is a great idea. Although the use of pie charts is not usually recommended, I think it helps to show how much is recommended to drink and how much that particular drink counts towards the guideline.

    However, one issue that could arise is drinking wine as if you are drinking at home, you may not be using a measure. Furthermore, the segments refer to drinks for a particular unit. You would have to think if the segments would change for each type of drink and percentage, or whether it is standardised for each type of drink and more or less than one segment is highlighted if the drink is stronger or weaker than the standard.

    1. Hi James,
      Thanks for your feedback, you raise an important point about variability when drinking at home. We’re exploring how drink specific information could be provided on labels, as well as other materials, such as beer mats, and how technology could be used be used to provide consumers with personalised information (see our Digital Labelling page). If you would like to get involved in a more detailed discussion, we are currently looking for people to take part in focus groups in Bristol over the next few months (see our HAVE YOUR SAY post).
      Many thanks
      Anna

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