Northern Territories Alcohol Labels Study

An infographic explaining the results of the Northern Territories Alcohol Labels Study

The Northern Territories Alcohol Labels Study (NTAL study) was a scientific experiment in Canada on the effects of alcohol warning labels. It was terminated after lobbying from the alcohol industry, and later relaunched with industry-advocated experimental design changes: omitting the "Alcohol can cause cancer" label, not labelling some alcohol products, and shortening the time period (from eight to four-and-a-half months[1]).[2][3] Enough data was gathered to show that all of the labels used in the study were simple, cheap, and effective, and it recommended that they should be required worldwide.[4][5]

Researchers felt that the lobbyists' changes diluted the scientific value of the study[2][3] and feared the weakened study might not give clear results.[3][6][7] While the shortened study did not provide enough evidence to answer some of the research questions,[3] it showed that the warning labels reduced alcohol sales and consumption: remembering the labels made people more aware of the alcohol-cancer link, and that awareness made people decide to drink less.[8] Industry interference in the study brought international attention.[2][9]

In November 2017, "Alcohol can cause cancer" warning labels (and two other designs) were added to alcoholic products at the only liquor store in Whitehorse, Yukon. The study was planned to run for eight months.[9][10][11] Alcohol industry lobbyists stopped the study after four weeks.[1] The Association of Canadian Distillers, Beer Canada and the Canadian Vintners Association alleged that the Yukon government had no legislative authority to add the labels, and would be liable for defamation, defacement, damages (including damage to brands), and packaging trademark and copyright infringement, because the labels had been added without their consent.[13] They also claimed that the labels violated their freedom of expression.[8] Partly because cigarette-package warning labels had already been ruled legal, these claims were not considered to have merit.[8][12] Lobby groups denied threatening legal action.[12]

John Streicker, the Yukon Minister Responsible for the Yukon Liquor Corporation, stopped the study just before Christmas.[10][14] He did not believe lobbyists' claims about the medical facts and instead believed his chief medical officer of health that the labels were truthful. He stopped the study because he did not wish Yukon to risk a long and expensive lawsuit and thought leadership should be taken by the federal government after the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10] Initially, the Yukon Liquor Corporation declined to identify the lobbyists who had contacted them,[10] but an access to information request later published e-mails between lobbyists and the Liquor Corporation (see § External links, below).[15]

  1. ^ a b File:Modified study design and timeline of the Northern Territories Alcohol Labels Study.png
  2. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Blewett was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference knowledge was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ See infographic lede image, File:Northern Territories Alcohol Labels Study, results infographic.pdf
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference finds was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference aih was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference yukon_news was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference action was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c d e Windeyer, Chris (9 May 2020). "Booze industry brouhaha over Yukon warning labels backfired, study suggests". CBC News. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "Liquor industry calls halt to cancer warning labels on Yukon booze". CBC News. 28 December 2017.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference launch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Austen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ defamation,[9][12][2] defacement,[10] damages,[10] and packaging trademark[10][12][2] and copyright infringement,[9] damage to brands,[12] consent[10]
  14. ^ Picard, André (2 January 2018). "Removing warning labels from Yukon liquor is shameful". The Globe and Mail.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cabin Radio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).