History of warning labels in the United States

Warning on a packet of cigarettes

The history of warning labels in the United States began in 1938 when the United States Congress passed a law mandating that food products have a list of ingredients on the label.^[1]

In 1966, the Federal government mandated that cigarette packs have a warning on them from the surgeon general. In 1973, Congress decided that products containing “toxic substances” must have labels. In 1985, a testimony was made alongside demands for record companies to put labels on music that contained sexual or violent lyrics. On March 29, 1990, warning labels were put on music products that contained potentially offensive lyrics; this was done with the agreement of the recording companies. In 1989, alcohol was required to have the surgeon general’s warning.

Several federal agencies are involved in the business of warning labels, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI warning labels have appeared in rented movies since 1975, discouraging consumers from engaging in video piracy.

Types of warning labels

There are three levels of labelling; caution, warning and danger:^[2]

• Caution indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
• Warning indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
• Danger indicates an imminently hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. This word is limited to the use in the most extreme situations.

See also

• Warning label

References

1. Carlson, Peter (6 November 2006). "Hey, the labels are kind of stupid, but don't say they didn't try to warn you". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
2. Rys, John Van; Meyer, Verne; Sebranek, Patrick (2006). The Business Writer. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 567. ISBN 978-0-618-37087-0.

Works cited

• "Warning labels: a guide for the preparation of warning labels for hazardous chemicals". Hathitrust.org. Washington D.C.: Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc. 1949. Retrieved 4 July 2024.