[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 40 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S2968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THURMOND:
  S. 1894. A bill to amend the Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act of 1988 
to improve a warning label requirement; to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.


               alcoholic beverage labeling act amendments

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today to introduce 
a bill to amend the Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act of 1988. Current 
law requires all containers of alcoholic beverages to display the 
following warning on the label:

       GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, 
     women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy 
     because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of 
     alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or 
     operate machinery, and may cause health problems.

  For nine years this warning has made consumers aware of some of the 
potential dangers associated with the consumption of alcohol. While I 
am confident that this warning appropriately illustrates the hazards of 
drinking during pregnancy and drinking and driving, I am concerned that 
it does not adequately describe the negative health effects associated 
with drinking alcohol. There is no shortage of well-substantiated 
information about the detrimental health effects of drinking. Excessive 
consumption of alcohol can raise the risk of stroke, heart disease, 
high blood pressure, certain cancers, malnutrition, cirrhosis of the 
liver, inflammation of the pancreas, and damage to the brain and heart. 
Obviously, there are so many adverse consequences of excessive alcohol 
consumption that it would be impossible to include them all on the face 
of a label. The bill I am introducing today, however, will warn 
consumers of the dangers associated with moderate consumption of 
alcohol. I am concerned that citizens may not realize that even 
moderate consumption of alcohol can put their health at risk. A recent 
study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and 
Alcoholism (NIAAA) indicates that there is an increased risk of breast 
cancer associated with moderate drinking. Specifically, there is a 40 
percent increase in the risk of breast cancer associated with an 
average intake of one drink per day, and a doubling of the risk of 
breast cancer with an average consumption of three drinks per day. The 
NIAAA study also revealed that a moderate alcohol intake of about two 
drinks per day can lead to an increase in blood pressure.
  Mr. President, the use of alcoholic beverages, even in moderate 
amounts, can have very serious health consequences that might 
ultimately be fatal. The government has a legitimate and important role 
to play in helping to assure that Americans understand these dangers. 
The legislation I am introducing today will supplement the current 
warning on labels to inform consumers of the dangers of moderate 
alcohol consumption. Further, this legislation will require that the 
warning label indicate that consumption of alcohol may lead to 
alcoholism. Alcohol has an addictive effect much like illegal drugs, 
and it is important that consumers are aware of this fact.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this critical 
legislation and look forward to its speedy passage.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1894

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LABELING REQUIREMENT.

       Section 204(a) of the Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act of 
     1988 (27 U.S.C. 215(a)) is amended by striking ``may cause 
     health problems'' and inserting ``may lead to alcoholism. (3) 
     Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health 
     problems such as hypertension and breast cancer''.
                                 ______