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The mandatory cigarette-style warnings, which would include details of how many units a bottle contained, would appear on all alcoholic drinks for sale in shops and supermarkets to deter people from binge drinking.

The labels would contain five pieces of information, including a general health warning about alcohol and a reminder to drink responsibly.
They would list the recommended safe daily alcohol consumption limits for men and women, exactly how many units were in the bottle and would display the logo of Drink Aware — a charity that aims to challenge Britain’s “national drinking culture”.

The plans are due to be published by the Government today after drinks companies failed to comply with a voluntary code to introduce the labels themselves.

As disclosed in The Daily Telegraph last week, five out of six companies have failed to abide by the voluntary system. They face being forced to do so by law. The labelling scheme could be enforced by trading standards officers.

Ministers are also considering imposing a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

Despite being criticised over the introduction of 24-hour drinking, the Government is eager to be seen to be tackling Britain’s binge drinking culture after a series of warnings about the toll excessive drinking is taking on the nation’s health. Official figures showed a 33 per cent increase in drink-related cases seen by accident and emergency departments in England since 2005.

Campaigners have blamed relaxed licensing laws and retailers selling massively discounted alcohol for the boom in binge drinking, particularly among young people.

Figures have also suggested that about 10 million people in England are risking their health by drinking more than the recommended maximum amount — which is two to three units a day for women, (about one large glass of wine) and three to four for men (two pints of beer).

Studies have suggested that many of those most at risk are middle-class wine drinkers who do not understand how many units they consume.

Today’s consultation document will say brewers and distillers must publish health information on all bottles and cans of wine, beer and spirits.

The document will outline three options: that drinks firms voluntarily comply and print the warnings; that they be forced to do so by the Portman Group, the industry’s regulator; or that they will be forced to do so by law.

The document is being published alongside separate government research showing that, so far, just 15 per cent of firms have agreed to print warnings on bottles and cans.

But the publication of the document has resulted in a last-minute flurry of brewers and distillers committing to voluntarily publish warnings.

Last night, Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, said: “We have now received assurances to comply from most of the major manufacturers and retailers. I invite the industry as a whole to deliver on these assurances.”

Anti-binge drinking campaigners welcomed the announcement, but Prof Ian Gilmore, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “The code should be mandatory. If the industry is dragging its heels, we cannot wait another three years for them to comply.”