HEALTH warnings are to be printed on nearly all cans and bottles containing beer and spirits in a new drive to curb the spread of binge drinking.

Alcohol manufacturers have agreed to use the warnings after talks with the Department of Health. The alcohol industry hopes the move will pre-empt any legislation to force it to introduce stark health warnings similar to those now seen on cigarette packets.

By the end of the year, 85% of beer sold in cans and bottles will have some kind of warning or guidance about drinking responsibly. Many brands of spirits, including Smirnoff vodka, Bells whisky and Archer’s schnapps will also carry the new messages.

The move comes as ministers face increasing pressure to show they are taking steps to address the problems of binge-drinking and alcohol-fuelled violence, especially among young people. They have faced strong criticism from the police, judges and doctors over new laws to extend pub opening hours.

Some observers have predicted that, like cigarette health warnings, the messages on alcohol packaging will gradually become more prominent. In 1971, cigarette makers first displayed small messages on their packets on a voluntary basis saying “Warning by HM government. Smoking can damage your health.”

The messages are compulsory and now large areas of cigarette packets are taken up with blunt warnings such as “Smoking kills” or “Smoking causes ageing of the skin”.

Manufacturers, pubs and bars are eager to head off what one industry insider said could become “some ham-fisted attempt to clamp down”.

The British Beer and Pub Association said this weekend that the new labels would include the number of units contained in the product as well as the warning that people should “drink responsibly”.

A spokesman said: “The rapid expansion of unit labelling and responsibility messaging across British beer is just one example of the steps producers are taking to advance customer understanding of the risks of alcohol misuse.”

Diageo, which produces some of the country’s best known brands including Bells whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Gordon’s gin and Guinness, is to have the new logos on almost all its products sold in Britain by the end of the year.

The company says the “responsible drinking messages will remind adults of the importance of enjoying beverage alcohol in moderation”. The labelling will include “nutritional” information about the contents of drinks as well as their alcohol content. Scottish & Newcastle, the brewer, introduced the new labelling to Newcastle Brown Ale last year and announced plans to place it on packaging for Fosters, Kronenbourg and John Smith’s beers.

Wine importers will face growing pressure to follow suit once the warnings become widespread on beer and spirits packaging. The government and drink groups say most men can drink up to three to four units of alcohol a day without significant risks to their health.

For men aged 40 and over, there is some evidence that drinking one to two units a day, but no more, can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. A unit is roughly equivalent to a small glass of wine or half a pint of beer of average strength.

Most women can drink up to two to three units of alcohol a day without significant risk to their health, although the figure is lower for women who are trying to conceive or who are pregnant.

The government estimates that 70% of all accident and emergency cases at weekends are related to alcohol abuse. Alcohol-related health problems cost the NHS £1.7 billion a year.

According to NHS figures released this weekend, the amount of alcohol drunk by children has doubled in the past 15 years.

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