Ireland To Become First Country In The World To Have Health Labelling On Alcohol Products

Monday, 22 May 2023 09:35

By Caoimhe Harney

The law will take effect from 22 May 2026.

Ireland is becoming the first country in the world to have health labelling on alcohol products.

The Health Minister has signed the new measure into law, which will take effect in 3 years time. The law will apply from 22 May 2026.

The Labelling Regulations introduce comprehensive health labelling of alcohol products sold in Ireland and provide that similar health information will be available for customers in licensed premises.

The law provides that the labels of alcohol products will state the calorie content and grams of alcohol in the product.

They will warn about the risk of consuming alcohol when pregnant and will also warn of the risk of liver disease and fatal cancers from alcohol consumption.

The labels will direct the consumer to the HSE website, for further information.

Minister Donnelly said: “This law is designed to give all of us as consumers a better understanding of the alcohol content and health risks associated with consuming alcohol. With that information, we can make an informed decision about our own alcohol consumption.

“Packaging of other food and drink products already contains health information and, where appropriate, health warnings. This law is bringing alcohol products into line with that.”

Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., added: “Everyone has a right to be told about the risks associated with a product before we consume it. This law is designed to ensure all consumers of alcohol have access to clear and concise information about the risks from alcohol.

“The medical evidence is clear that a cancer risk applies even at lower levels of alcohol consumption.”

“I welcome that we are the first country in the world to take this step and introduce comprehensive health labelling of alcohol products. I look forward to other countries following our example," he added.

More from National News

Irish Troops Come Under "Small-Arms Fire" In Lebanon

Defence Minister Helen McEntee is condemning the incident, and says it's an unacceptable breach of the UN Security Council Resolution.
€17,000 Paid Out For Pothole Damage In Kildare - But Some Claims Now Deemed ‘Act Of God’

IPB Insurance, which manages complaints on behalf of Kildare County Council, is the insurance company some people appear to be having issues with.
€2.2bn Children’s Hospital Misses Yet Another Deadline As Kill-Based BAM Brings In International Experts

Audio

Children’s Health Ireland were due to get access to the grounds on Wednesday, but the Health Minister says this has been pushed back again until the end of the month.
Maynooth Study: Poor Insulation And Draughty Homes Leaving Families Sick In Some Ageing Council Estates

The Just Housing project at Maynooth worked with the Community Action Tenants Union to survey long-established local-authority homes - focusing in this case on a 1950s estate in south Dublin as an example of wider problems in ageing council stock.
Nikita Hand Welcomes Supreme Court Decision Against McGregor Appeal In Civil Rape Trial

Just over a year ago the former MMA fighter was found liable for assaulting Ms. Hand, based on her claims that he raped her in the penthouse suite of a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
Council’s Strict One-Off Rural Housing Rules Leave Naas Farmer With No Way To Rebuild Home On Her Own Land

The Judge noted that the inspector recognised her need for a new home arising from her marital separation, but explained that the “exceptional circumstances” provision in the previous Development Plan no longer exists under the current one.
RTE Will Not Broadcast Eurovision Because Israel Allowed To Compete

RTÉ - along with public broadcasters in Slovenia, Spain and the Netherlands - had warned it would boycott the 2026 contest in Vienna if Israel were admitted, citing the ongoing war in Gaza.
Revealed: Naas Hospital Sent Home Majority Of Self-Harm Patients Last Year

New figures seen by Kfm News show that Naas discharged almost sixty per cent of cases - the highest rate of non-admission in the Dublin–Midlands region.