Consumer/Health Groups Urge Federal Government to Mandate Standardized Information...

Consumer/Health Groups Urge Federal Government to Mandate Standardized
Information on Alcohol Labels

Release Findings of New Consumer Poll and Report Laying Out Public Health
Support

Leading public health and consumer organizations -- including the National
Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, Mothers Against Drunk
Driving and Dr. C. Everett Koop's Shape Up America! -- will hold a joint news
conference on April 22 to call on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
(TTB) to get it right and end 30 years of "deliberations and fact finding"
about the need for useful labeling information on beer, wine and distilled
spirits products. To make the case, the groups will issue a new report laying
out the benefits of an easy-to-read, standardized label that provides complete
information about the alcohol and calorie content per serving. The groups will
also unveil an "open letter" to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson signed by 15
public interest organizations and public health officials and will release the
latest findings of a national opinion poll showing widespread public support
for standardized and complete alcohol labeling.

The following summarizes the details of this major press event:

WHO:
Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League, whose
organization petitioned TTB in 2003 to mandate standardized alcohol labeling
and developed the new report.

Christopher Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer
Federation of America, an advocate for government action on alcohol labeling.

Barbara J. Moore, Ph.D., President and CEO of Shape Up America!, which
commissioned the new poll and generated widespread support from the public
health community for the "open letter" ad.

Charles A. Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD), whose organization advocates for alcohol labeling to help curb the
over-consumption of alcohol and its consequences.

WHEN:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
9:30 a.m. EDT

WHERE:
BOC Studio; 4th Floor
National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington

NOTE:
The press conference will provide visuals, including a blow up of the open
letter and a range of packaged products that carry standardized labeling and
alcoholic beverages that do not.

CONTACT:Noa Rabinowitz, +1-202-974-5012, for Shape Up America!; or Carol McKay
of National Consumers League, +1-412-259-8797

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- April 17/

SOURCE Shape Up America!