Health warnings put on alcohol labels are scheduled to change for the first time in 21 years starting September to highlight the health risks to pregnant women and youths, and the government is thinking of further raising the severity of the warnings through follow-up revisions, officials said Thursday.

A public health law amended in March, to take effect from Sept. 3, requires all alcoholic beverages to carry a label that warns of the increased chances of liver-related ailments and additional serious side effects for pregnant women and teenagers, such as birth defects and lifelong brain damage. It also warns of the dangers of driving or working under the influence of alcohol.

Manufacturers can choose from three types of label, each highlighting different hazards. Current labels only cite that drinking alcohol is harmful to one's health.

Officials said the government is considering more revisions to specify the kind of illnesses that can be brought on by drinking and to further emphasize the potential health risks, especially for teenagers. It may also place warnings in advertisements of alcoholic beverages, an idea mentioned in the 2016-2020 public health policy announced in February. This would require the same level of warnings on all TV and print ads.

Alcohol ads could be prohibited altogether on public transportation vehicles, the Internet and digital media, according to the officials.

The government, however, will not require different positioning of the labels, they said. A state committee earlier this month decided to make tobacco companies place graphic warnings against smoking on the upper part of cigarette packs to make them more visible and striking. (Yonhap)