The objective of this project is to evaluate the impact of health warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers and to enhance the effectiveness of warning disclosures about alcohol health hazards. Specifically, the project examines the impact of the warning labels that are scheduled to appear on alcoholic beverage containers beginning November 1989. A stratified national probability sample of 1200 people (age 16 and over) and a supplementary network sample of 300 pregnant women will be interviewed over the telephone before the labels are implemented. Two additional cross-sectional samples of people will be interviewed in 1990 and in 1991 to evaluate the labels effectiveness in communicating health hazard warnings to the general public and to important subpopulations. The surveys will also assist in the development of improved warning labels, which will be tested in a series of research experiments. These laboratory experiments are designed to increase awareness of the warning message on alcohol labels, to provide a theoretical basis for understanding consumers, processing of alcohol warning labels, and to change beliefs necessary for the adoption of alcohol precautionary behaviors. These two studies are responsive to the Alcohol Beverage and Labeling Act of 1988, which requires a report to Congress of the """"""""available scientific information"""""""" (that) would justify a change in addition to, or deletion"""""""" of the alcohol warning label by the end of 1990. Finally, a series of experiments will be conducted to test the advisability-of requiring warning messages in print and broadcast alcoholic beverage advertisements. These laboratory experiments will be developed to determine whether warnings should be rotated and whether both audio and video disclosures should be used in televised alcoholic beverage commercials. These studies will examine both the costs and the benefits of requiring risk disclosures in advertising.
