Effects of the United States Alcohol Warning Label on Adolescents

This article summarizes research on the effects of the United States alcohol warning label on adolescents. Most research evaluating alcohol warning effects on adolescents is from a study consisting of repeated cross-sectional samples of tenth and twelfth graders starting before the warning was required in 1989 and collected each year until 1995. There were substantial changes over time in awareness of and memory for the content of the warning label, but these effects leveled off after a few years. There was not convincing evidence of changes in alcohol-related beliefs, alcohol use, or risky alcohol-related behaviors as a result of the warning. Laboratory studies of the alcohol warning label explored issues regarding the optimal warning label content. These results were generally consistent with other research with adult participants.