The Irish minister for health, Stephen Donnelly, signed new regulations into law on Monday, paving the way for the introduction of label health warning on alcohol products in the Republic of Ireland. However, these regulations will not become effective until 2026.
The labeling requirement aims to inform consumers about the dangers associated with alcohol consumption, in addition to providing information on the calorie content and alcohol grams in the product.
The Irish government said the regulations would bring alcohol products into line with requirements for food packaging. Mr Donnelly said: “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.” The health warning labels on alcohol products will alert consumers to the risks of drinking while pregnant, as well as the dangers of liver disease and fatal cancers.
In January, Italy’s ambassador to Ireland told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that the plans were “totally disproportionate”. Wine production remains a major export industry in Italy.
Ruggero Corrias said: “There is nothing wrong with the label health warning , the point is , the warnings should be proportionate and, in this case, since you’re talking about wine, saying that drinking alcohol on a bottle of wine causes liver disease is totally disproportionate.” Dr Sheila Gilheany, the chief executive of Alcohol Action Ireland, welcomed the regulation. She said: “This measure goes some way to ensuring consumers are informed about some of the risks from alcohol.”