South Korean Health and Welfare Ministry officials said on Tuesday that an amendment to the public health law is being reviewed to require the printing of health hazard warning pictures on alcoholic beverage packages.
South Korea Associated Press quoted officials as saying that warning pictures on alcoholic beverage would be similar to those on cigarette packages, in the form of pictures to remind consumers of the health hazards of drinking and the consequences of drunk driving.
In Korea, there is only information on alcoholic beverage packaging that warns pregnant women and young people about the dangers of excessive drinking. Most Koreans believe that this form of reminder is "too weak" and has little effect.
According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2017, the smoking rate of people over 19 years old dropped by 1.6% compared with the previous year after warning pictures and serious warnings were printed on cigarette packages that year. However, it is not easy for South Korea to amend the law on Printing pictorial warning content on cigarette packages, which took 13 years.
According to the South Korean Bureau of Statistics, 4809 people died of alcohol-related diseases in South Korea in 2017.
