Media

Alcohol Action Ireland calls for ‘practical’ health and safety plan amid growing spates of violence and public disorder  AAI is also calling for amendments to the Sale of Alcohol bill to ensure that it does not have a wide range of unintended consequences  Amid increased and repeated warnings about violence and lawlessness in Dublin, fueled at least partly by alcohol, and concerns about levels of policing, AAI is calling for a halt to proposals to increase opportunities for alcohol use... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland’s pre-budget submission calls for: development of a ‘polluter pays’ model for alcohol taxation, funding for Office for Alcohol Harm Reduction and increased funding for treatment services.   In its pre-budget submission, published today, AAI sets out the harm that alcohol -  Ireland's cheapest and most widely available drug – causes and makes a number of recommendations to offset that harm.  A recently published study in the Lancet found that four industries (tobacco, unhealthy food, fossil fuels, and... Full Story

A comprehensive independent evaluation of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland was published today.   It found that MUP has had a positive impact on health outcomes, reducing deaths directly caused by alcohol consumption by an estimated 13.4% and hospital admissions by 4.1%.  Alcohol Action Ireland welcomes the final report from Public Health Scotland, which adds to evidence from other jurisdictions that MUP is an important measure in reducing alcohol harm.  MUP was introduced in Scotland in May 2018 and led to a... Full Story

Media Release Alcohol Action Ireland 22 May 2023 Warm welcome for alcohol labelling – an important step to ensure the consumer’s right to know the risks from alcohol    Alcohol Action Ireland, today 22 May 2023, warmly welcomed the announcement that Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has signed into law, Section 12 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 which provides for alcohol products being sold in Ireland to have health information labels. These regulations will ensure that no alcohol... Full Story

Implement labelling regulations provided for under the Public Health Alcohol Act (2018) without further delay, experts say amid concern for alcohol-related diseases and conditions  16/05/23: Health information labels on alcohol products need to be urgently implemented in order that consumers are informed about the risks of consuming alcohol, Alcohol Action Ireland has said ahead of an event to raises awareness about the issue (details in editor’s notes).  In order to reiterate the importance of health warning labels, Alcohol Action Ireland... Full Story

Professor Emeritus Tom Babor has analysed Ireland’s Sale of Alcohol Bill in a report published today, Tuesday May 9, at an event at Wood Quay, Dublin 8, launched by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy  This government’s pursuit of a ‘night-time economy’ that increases access to alcohol will bring to Ireland’s streets and homes the ensuing issues that often accompanies increasing alcohol availability, a report published today warns.  Author of the report, The Sale of Alcohol Bill (2022): An... Full Story

Media release 30 March 2023 Annual alcohol consumption data – some hope of progress but threats on the horizon Provisional data obtained from Revenue indicates that while alcohol consumption in 2022 has increased compared to 2021 which was expected given the re-opening of hospitality, it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. This may be an early indicator of impact from the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol. However, more detail is needed on other areas such as patterns of... Full Story

Alcohol still being heavily promoted in sports – despite laws designed to curb the marketing of a harmful product   Almost a quarter of alcohol ads in the sports area during leading rugby matches in Ireland were deemed to be promoting ‘regular strength’ alcohol product New research analysing alcohol brand references in or on the sporting area in rugby found that alcohol marketing continues to feature – despite Ireland’s laws prohibiting alcohol advertising in these places. The analysis, by researchers from the Institute of Social Marketing and Health at the University... Full Story