Public Health (Alcohol) Act (PHAA)
Updated 25/06/2024
What is the Public Health (Alcohol) Act?
The Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 (PHAA) is a legislative framework designed to tackle Ireland’s harmful relationship with alcohol. It aims to reduce the damage that alcohol causes to individuals, families and society by reducing our alcohol consumption, with a particular focus on protecting children and young people from early alcohol harm and exposure to alcohol marketing.
To achieve these aims, the PHAA includes a suite of measures based on the World Health Organisation’s ‘best buys’ to reduce alcohol harm. These include controls on pricing, marketing and availability as well as ground-breaking measures on health information labelling on alcohol products including cancer warnings.
It was the most contested piece of legislation in the history of the State meeting trenchant opposition from the global alcohol industry but after more than three years of parliamentary debate it received cross party support and was signed into law in October 2018.
The PHAA was warmly welcomed by public health advocates world-wide and has frequently been highlighted internationally.
What does the legislation do?
The legislation provides a number of evidence-based measures designed to reduce alcohol consumption at a population level, including:
- minimum pricing of alcohol products;
- labelling of alcohol products and notices in licensed premises;
- prohibitions and restrictions on advertising and sponsorship;
- separation and visibility of alcohol products and advertisements for alcohol products in specified licensed premises;
- the regulation of the sale and supply of alcohol products in certain circumstances.
Measures commenced or set for commencement
Find updates in relation to each of the measures commenced (or with a commencement date) here:
- Separation and visibility of alcohol products
- A prohibition on advertising in certain areas such as on the field of play of sport and other areas (eg within 200m of schools and other child-friendly public spaces, and on public transport)
- Minimum unit pricing
- Labelling of alcohol products
- Broadcast watershed for alcohol ads
- Regulations relating to sale and supply of alcohol products
What's left to do?
This legislation is based on proven evidence of what works best at a population level for reducing alcohol use and related harms as recommended by the WHO.
The latest Health Research Board report (p191) on alcohol gives the most recent summary of where the most important parts of the legislation are at in terms of implementation.
As the report states – enforcing the Act is as crucial as implementation, and monitoring its effectiveness should be a priority.
Please note: This page is updated as regularly as possible. Cross check your sources for most up to date information or get in touch with us.
