Diageo rolls out new guidance on drink brands

Diageo has updated the labels on its Smirnoff, Gordon’s Gin, Baileys and Captain Morgan bottles to carry printed guidance on alcohol levels.

The health information will direct individuals to www.drinkiq.com, which aims to give consumers the knowledge and tools to make informed choices around alcohol.

The business has also updated and relaunched its DrinkIQ website, which provides additional information to support and educate a range of people on differing levels of alcohol consumption.

The first of the new labels will appear on 70cl and 1L bottles of Smirnoff as well as 1L bottles of Gordon’s Pink Gin in early 2021. Baileys and Captain Morgan will follow.

The updated material available on DrinkIQ.com will include a new self-assessment test, based on the World Health Organization’s Audit (alcohol use disorders identification test) tool, to help people identify whether they may be drinking at harmful levels. The tool directs people at risk to where they can find further information or help from health services.

The self-assessment test will sit alongside existing resources, including the DrinkIQ quiz and lifestyle features, with topics including ‘drinking and your body’ and ‘drinking and your mind’. Available in 16 languages, the quiz aims to communicate key messages about the importance of drinking responsibly by asking users a series of questions on the effects of drinking.

The website also includes the latest government guidance around drinking alcohol, with a stronger focus on mental health as well as physical health.

The relaunch of DrinkiQ will help deliver on the company’s target to reach one billion people with dedicated messages of moderation through its brands by 2030, and the website will also provide a resource to champion health literacy and tackle harm.

Dayalan Nayager, managing director, Diageo UK, said: “As the UK’s leading spirits producer, we think it is essential that our consumers make informed choices about alcohol. We want to change the way the world drinks for the better, and today’s initiatives are just the first step forward in our long-term global ambition to reach one billion people with messages of moderation over the next 10 years.”

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