Ireland is set to become the world’s first country to officially introduce health labels for alcohol to spread more awareness of the contents of our beverages.
On Monday, 22 May, the country’s minister for health Stephen Donnelly signed the Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2023 into law, along with the remaining provisions of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act’s Section 12.
This will see Ireland become the first country in the world to introduce health labelling on alcohol products.
Health labels for alcohol – will state the calorie content and grams of alcohol in the products
The new health labelling law will come into effect in three years (May 2026). It will require that all alcoholic products clearly state the calorie content and grams of alcohol contained in each product.
Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing, and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton, made the point that everyone should be made aware of the risks of alcohol.
“Everyone has a right to be told about the risks associated with a product before we consume it”, Naughton commented. “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.”
Ireland – the first country to introduce health labels for alcohol
Regarding the introduction of health labels for alcohol, Minister Donnelly explained that the law aims to give consumers “a better understanding of […] the health risks associated with consuming alcohol.
“With that information, we can make an informed decision about our own alcohol consumption”, Donnelly continued. He also explained that this law would bring alcohol products in line with regulations on other food and drink products.
Donnelly also added that he was proud that Ireland was the first country in the world to take this action and hopes that it will inspire others to do the same. He said: “I look forward to other countries following our example”.
Reaction to Ireland’s plan to introduce health labels for alcohol – has been quite mixed
While the majority of the reaction to Ireland’s plans to introduce health labels for alcohol has been positive, it’s fair to say that there have been some negative responses. Most of this has come from representatives of the alcoholic drinks industry.
Drinks Ireland argued that there had been a lot of international opposition to the new law. They also suggested that the new legislation would negatively impact the industry in Ireland.
“Unfortunately, this is an example of zealotry rather than evidence-based legislation,” Cormac Healy, Director of Drinks Ireland, told RTÉ News.
“We would call on the government to urgently address these significant international concerns from the EU and beyond and explain why Ireland is going alone on alcohol labels at a time when harmonised labels are being planned across the EU”.
