Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, has written to the Taoiseach to urge the Irish government to stand strong in the face of industry opposition and deliver on the world leading alcohol labelling regulations due to come into effect in May 2026.
The new labelling rules are a part of the “historic” Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 and will ensure that all alcohol products include warnings to inform the public about these health risks, and basic information such as the alcohol and calorie content. Sir Ian explained that these measures were passed unanimously because it was “undoubtedly the right thing to do.”
“Ireland has historically been a world leader in public health policy, becoming the first country to introduce comprehensive smoke-free legislation. The 2018 Act continued this reputation by setting pace in alcohol policy, and in the coming years, other nations will undoubtedly follow Ireland’s example, just as has been the case with the smoke-free revolution. This legislation is trailblazing in upholding the Irish people’s right to knowledge and better health, setting an example to the rest of the world.”
The letter describes how these new measures have been passed in the Dáil, endorsed by international public health organisations, and defended by the European Commission at the World Trade Organization. Sir Ian warns against “misleading and disingenuous” complaints from the alcohol industry, and highlights that “the measures would have no impact on alcohol exports,” with compliance in Ireland easily “achieved through simple stick-on labels.”
“Now is a crucial moment to defend the Irish legacy in putting public health before profits,” the letter concludes. “Simply put, this is a matter of health and not of corporate interests, and I implore you to stand firm in rejecting unnecessary calls for any further examination or delay of implementing these regulations.”
Sir Ian is a leading liver doctor who set up the Alcohol Health Alliance UK in 2007 in an effort to tackle the root causes of the problems he was encountering daily in hospital: “In my years as a physician, I have seen first-hand the damage alcohol can cause to an individual, their families, and the massive toll on wider communities.”
Alcohol is a classified group one carcinogen (in the same category as tobacco and asbestos), the cause behind 60% of liver disease cases, and can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and lead to long-term harm to the baby when consumed during pregnancy.
Dr Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland, commented: “Alcohol Action is very encouraged by the outpouring of international interest and support for Ireland’s regulations. This is matched in Ireland with over 75 organisations and advocates recently calling on the Government to uphold the law and ensure there is no delay to its implementation. It is essential that health policy is not driven by health-harming industries.”
