Alcohol health warning stirs up Belgian brewers

In a country famed worldwide for its beer, a proposed tweak to health warnings on adverts for alcoholic drinks has shaken Belgian brewers.

The change stirring up their discontent comes down to cutting just one crucial word.

The government wants to alter the warning from “the abuse of alcohol is harmful to your health” to “alcohol is harmful for your health.”

Beers are pictured in Belgium on Oct. 7, 2020.

Photo: AFP Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health

Belgian Minister of Health and Social Affairs Frank Vandenbroucke said the move, announced in spring and still being debated in parliament, is justified by the need to better protect minors and inform adults over the risks of drinking.

“Alcohol is harmful. Everyone is free to decide how much they drink, but as public authorities, we want to provide young people and adults with accurate information,” he said.

However, brewers have railed against a push they said threatens to stigmatize a key sector of Belgium’s economy. Leading the charge has been AB InBev, the world’s biggest beer maker, which produces local classics such as Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarden.

Together with other industry players it has launched a campaign to sway public opinion in the Belgian press. Last month, the group took out a full-page ad in local newspapers showing a smiling couple sharing a beer.

“What’s wrong with these moments?” read the strapline. An accompanying text took direct aim at the new warning, slamming it for not distinguishing between alcohol abuse and “responsible” drinking.

“Belgium has chosen to take aim at its own traditions, which are a source of national pride,” it said.

The man behind the industry pushback is Krishan Maudgal, the boss of the Belgian Brewers association representing about 130 producers.

He decried the government’s “paternalistic” approach, saying that Belgians were able to moderate their consumption without government interference.

“Market trends show this,” he said. “Over the last 25 to 30 years, beer consumption in Belgium has fallen by almost 40 percent.”

However, for some health experts in the country, the government’s latest move does not go far enough. Belgium’s Superior Health Council, which gives independent advice to the authorities, has been calling for years for a total ban on alcohol advertising. It also wants to see health warnings on bottles and cans, accusing the government of being too timid.

“Slogans used by the industry do not emphasize the dangers inherent in alcohol consumption sufficiently and even contribute to confusion,” the council wrote in 2024, quoting the WHO as saying that there is no level of alcohol consumption that is safe for one’s health.

Alcohol addiction specialist Martin de Duve agreed, lashing out at “the irresponsibility of producers.”

“They’re making a mountain out of a molehill; we’re just talking about changing a single sentence in the adverts,” said the doctor, who runs a prevention charity.

“[Beer is] deeply ingrained in Belgian society,” he said. “Yet it is by no means a harmless product.”