Ireland agrees minimum alcohol pricing

Ireland is to introduce a minimum price on alcohol and restrictions to its marketing in a bid to curb “dangerous” misuse after its health minister declared a public health emergency.

The changes will come into effect from summer 2015.

Leo Varadkar, the country’s health minister, got Cabinet approval yesterday for the proposed Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, which will set a minimum price for drink sales of between 9c and 11c per gram of alcohol, as reported by the Irish Independent. It means that the minimum cost of an unit of alcohol – about half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine – will be set between 90c and €1.10.

At the higher end, it could mean a bottle of wine could not be legally sold in Ireland for less than €8.80 and a can of beer for €2.20, outlawing cheap alcohol sales which Varadkar believes is driving excessive alcohol consumption in the country.

Alcohol producers will also be required to put health warnings and calorie counts on wine, beer and spirits with any marketing of alcohol that could appeal to children banned. Alcohol advertising on television, in newspapers and in cinemas will also be restricted, however the companies will still be allowed to sponsor sport events.

Currently the Irish drink an annual 11.6 litres of alcohol per capita with the new laws aiming to reduce consumption to 9.1 litres by 2020.

The changes are expected to come into effect from this summer, with rules relating to advertising and marketing of alcohol taking effect from 2016.

In the UK, a ban on selling alcohol at ‘below cost’ was introduced in April 2014, which fell short of introducing a blanket minimum price on alcohol units.

A minimum alcohol unit price was considered in 2012 but rejected in 2013 on the basis that there was not enough evidence that it would be effective in reducing harm.

Recently a group of doctors renewed calls for minimum pricing urging the UK government to consider a 50p minimum unit price for alcohol to tackle the country’s “impact of excessive alcohol consumption”.