Mandatory Pictograms with High Visual Impact on Alcohol Labels
Larger Font Sizes by Volume and Standardized Gothic Typeface
Starting in September next year, the labels on all alcoholic beverages sold in the market, including soju and beer, will be changed. In addition to the existing text-based warning messages, it will become mandatory to include pictograms: an image of a car to warn against the dangers of drunk driving and an image warning of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 29th that it has prepared a partial amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the National Health Promotion Act and a complete revision of the notice on excessive drinking warning labels, in order to strengthen regulations for public health promotion.
The core of this revision is the enhancement of visual information so that consumers can intuitively recognize the harms of drinking before consuming alcohol. The intention is to heighten awareness by adding pictograms depicting specific risk situations, based on the judgment that simple phrases such as "excessive drinking is harmful to your health" are insufficient.
According to the amendment, alcoholic beverage labels will include the phrase, "Drunk driving can endanger your life and the lives of others," along with a pictogram showing a glass, a bottle, and a car inside a prohibition sign. This delivers a strong message from the bottle itself that drunk driving is not a simple mistake but a criminal act that threatens the lives of others.
Warnings about drinking during pregnancy will also become more explicit. While the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy were previously mentioned, the amendment requires a direct phrase stating, "Drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects or miscarriage," along with a prohibition sign featuring the silhouette of a pregnant woman. This measure aims to raise awareness about fetal health not only among pregnant women themselves but also among those around them.
Additionally, labels will be updated to inform consumers that alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, and to warn about the increased risks of liver and stomach cancer, as well as the negative effects on adolescent growth and brain development.
Technical labeling methods will also be significantly improved to make warnings easier for consumers to read. The font size of warning messages, which has been difficult to read due to small print, will be increased according to the bottle’s volume. Even small bottles of 300ml or less must use a font size of at least 10 points, while large bottles over 1 liter must use a font size of at least 18 points. There are also detailed regulations requiring the font size to be two points larger than the standard for containers with a fully coated surface, such as canned beer.
Design regulations to improve readability have also become stricter. The font for warning messages must be a bold, easy-to-read Gothic typeface. To prevent warning messages from blending into the background, the background color of the warning must be clearly distinguishable from the rest of the bottle label, such as by using complementary colors. Warning pictograms are also standardized, using black silhouettes with red circles and slashes to make the meanings of "prohibition" and "danger" immediately recognizable to anyone.
The placement of the warnings has also been specified to ensure they are easily visible to consumers. When printed directly on the label, the warning must be placed at the bottom of the label; when using a sticker, it must be attached to a clearly visible area at the bottom of the label. If both a warning message and pictogram are displayed, they must be arranged consecutively to maximize visual impact.
This amendment is a follow-up measure to the revision of the National Health Promotion Act announced in March, and, taking into account the preparation period for the alcoholic beverage industry, will be fully implemented starting September 19 next year.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
