Cancer warning required on alcohol labels

Summary#

This bill changes the Food and Drugs Act to require a health warning label on packaged alcoholic drinks. It sets what the label must say and leaves the exact label design to regulations. It applies to drinks with 1.1% alcohol or more. It takes effect one year after royal assent (Coming-into-force).

• Requires a cancer warning about alcohol on packages (Bill clause 1; Preamble).
• Requires the label to show what counts as a “standard drink” (a set amount of pure alcohol) (Bill clause 1).
• Requires the label to show how many standard drinks are in the package (Bill clause 1).
• Requires the label to show the number of standard drinks that should not be exceeded to avoid significant health risks, as determined by the Department (Bill clause 1).
• Applies to any sale of packaged alcoholic beverages in Canada at 1.1% alcohol or more (Bill clause 1).
• Becomes law one year after royal assent, giving industry time to comply (Coming-into-force).

What it means for you#

• Households
  • You will see health warnings on alcoholic drink packages. The label will include a cancer risk message and the number of standard drinks in the package (Bill clause 1).
  • You will see a stated limit for standard drinks that should not be exceeded to avoid significant health risks, set by the Department (Bill clause 1).
• Workers
  • Packaging, printing, compliance, and retail staff may need to adjust processes to meet the new label rules once regulations set the “form and manner” (Bill clause 1).
• Businesses
  • Producers, importers, and distributors cannot sell packaged alcohol at 1.1% alcohol or more without the required warning label and standard drink information (Bill clause 1).
  • You will need to update package artwork and printing to meet the prescribed form and manner once the Department issues regulations (Bill clause 1).
  • Existing inventory without the new label cannot be sold after the effective date, unless relabeled (Bill clause 1; Coming-into-force).
• Retailers (including provincially run liquor boards)
  • You may not sell unlabelled packaged alcoholic beverages after the effective date. Check incoming stock for compliance (Bill clause 1; Coming-into-force).
• Service providers (bars and restaurants)
  • The rule applies when the beverage is sold in a package. On-premise servings not sold in a package are not addressed by this bill (Bill clause 1).

Expenses#

• Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• The bill creates a new federal labeling requirement but includes no direct spending or revenue provisions (Bill clause 1).

• Federal administrative costs to develop regulations and enforce compliance: Data unavailable.

• Compliance costs for producers, importers, and retailers to redesign, print, and manage new labels and inventory: Data unavailable.

• Any projected health system savings from risk warnings: Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Improves consumer awareness at the point of purchase by placing clear health information and a cancer warning directly on packages (Preamble; Bill clause 1).
• Gives people actionable data by listing a standard drink definition and the number of standard drinks per package (Bill clause 1).
• Helps reduce significant health risks by stating a not-to-exceed number of standard drinks, as determined by the Department (Bill clause 1).
• Aligns with the bill’s finding that alcohol has a direct causal link to fatal cancers, which the label must state (Preamble; Bill clause 1).
• Provides a one-year phase-in to let industry change labels and clear old stock (Coming-into-force).

Opponents' View#

• Raises compliance costs for producers and importers to redesign labels, retool packaging lines, and manage old inventory; small producers may face proportionally higher costs (Data unavailable).
• Creates regulatory uncertainty until the Department defines “standard drink,” the not-to-exceed number, and the label’s form and manner; later updates could force repeated label changes (Bill clause 1).
• May disrupt supply chains if imported products lack compliant labels by the effective date, limiting product availability until relabeling occurs (Bill clause 1; Coming-into-force).
• Enforcement and transition risks: without timely regulations, businesses cannot prepare, and retailers may receive noncompliant stock near the deadline (Bill clause 1; Coming-into-force).
• Scope questions: the bill covers packaged sales at 1.1% alcohol or more but does not address non-packaged on-premise service, which could limit reach of warnings (Bill clause 1).