Careful consumers keep a close eye on product labels. When the product has intoxicating properties, labeling is especially important.

Consumer and public-health groups reasonably have asked the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department that regulates alcohol labeling, to require that alcoholic-beverage packaging list how much alcohol is in each serving. Listing alcohol per serving seems simple enough, but beer and wine trade organizations contend the information would confuse the public.

The Beer Institute said listing alcohol by serving size would require "fractional measurements of beverage volume and absolute alcohol content." It further noted that product comparisons would require "complex calculations" that could mislead consumers. Oh, please.

The Distilled Spirits Council took a more enlightened view. Council President Peter H. Cressy said listing the alcohol content per drink would help consumers make responsible drinking decisions. Standard servings for spirits, wine and beer are defined in the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These standards are followed by the Office of the Surgeon General, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies.

There's no good reason to keep this information from consumers.