Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act

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The Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act (or ABLA) is a United States federal law enacted in 1988. Found in the United States Code at title 27, section 213, the act requires that (among other provisions) the labels of alcoholic beverages to carry a "government warning," which reads:

GOVERNMENT WARNING:

(1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects.

(2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.

The ABLA also contains a declaration of policy and purpose, which states that the United States Congress finds that

the American public should be informed about the health hazards that may result from the consumption or abuse of alcoholic beverages, and has determined that it would be beneficial to provide a clear, nonconfusing reminder of such hazards, and that there is a need for national uniformity in such reminders in order to avoid the promulgation of incorrect or misleading information and to minimize burdens on interstate commerce.