Ireland is set to introduce mandatory health warnings and calorie counts on alcohol labels by May 2026, making them the first country in the world to take this step. Under these new regulations, alcohol labels will have to contain essential information to inform people of the danger of alcohol consumption, the danger of drinking when pregnant and the link between alcohol and cancer. In addition, products will have to contain the quantity of grams of alcohol and the number of calories.
The Irish government states that many Irish consumers are unaware of the risks of health harms from alcohol consumption, and the new rules intend to give them a better understanding of alcohol content and its health risks. The law aligns alcohol products with other food and drink products that already contain health information and, where appropriate, health warnings.
The Irish Cancer Society welcomes the move as alcohol is responsible for 1,000 cases of cancer in Ireland every year. Health labelling will empower people to make informed decisions about alcohol by raising awareness of the risk it poses to health.
However, there are concerns that the new regulations may breach EU law because they deviate from EU harmonised labelling rules. European alcohol organisations have submitted formal complaints asking the European Commission to open an infringement procedure against Ireland. They argue that Ireland’s new regulations represent a disproportionate trade barrier. SpiritsEurope and wine industry organization Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) want Ireland to wait for EU harmonized labelling rules for alcoholic beverages, highlighting that the European Commission has already expressed interest in health-related information on alcoholic beverages.
Despite concerns, Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health, intends to sign the Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2023 into law. He states, “With that information, we can make an informed decision about our alcohol consumption. I look forward to other countries following our example.”
