Warning statements placed on bottled and canned alcoholic beverages about health risks and driving under the influence will be printed in a larger font starting next September.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Wednesday that it had prepared a partial revision to the enforcement decree of the National Health Promotion Act that would increase the font size of warning messages on alcoholic beverages.

The National Health Promotion Act was revised in March to require alcohol warning labels to refer to the dangers of drunk driving, via text or graphics. The government has now added detailed standards for how the warnings should be displayed, including a mandate to increase their font size.

Health warnings on prepackaged alcoholic drinks with content less than 300 milliliters must be printed in at least 10-point font, and those for 300- to 500-milliliter offerings must be in at least 12-point font.

Those from 500 milliliters to one liter must use a minimum 16-point font, and those larger than one liter must use a minimum 18-point font.

Warnings about the health hazards of drinking and the risk of driving under the influence must also be clearly distinguishable from surrounding colors and prints on drink packaging.

The ministry will collect opinions on the revision of the enforcement decree by January 13 and implement it around September of next year, giving the liquor industry ample time to prepare for the change.