Changes in Public Attitudes toward Alcohol Control Policies since the Warning Label Mandate of 1988

Abstract

The author reports on changes in public attitudes toward alcohol control policies in the U.S. since the implementation of warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers, using general population survey data collected six months before and 18 months after implementation. Of the 13 policies assessed, only the warning label elicited sustained support in the intervening two years. Persons who reported seeing the label on a beverage container were twice as likely as others to support the warning label policy. More than half of the respondents believed warning labels are an effective way to change people's behavior, though supporters are split on the question of whether the label signals that alcohol is a dangerous product. Implications of these findings are discussed.