Proposals to bring in restrictions on the advertising of zero-alcohol drinks like 0.0 beers will be opposed by the Government in the Dáil.
Social Democrats’ legislation aimed at closing what the party has described as a “loophole” in the law that allows the drinks industry to circumvent restrictions on alcohol advertising is to be debated in Leinster House on Thursday.
The TD who brought forward the legislation, Pádraig Rice, previously said that “when people see advertisements for such drinks, “they see an alcohol brand”.
He added: “Why else would drinks companies so aggressively market products that only account for around 1 per cent of the total alcohol market?”
RM Block
Rice made the remarks when he announced the proposed Social Democrats legislation last year.
In recent years, successive governments have been introducing sections of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act which includes measures restricting the advertising of alcohol products.
Another aspect of the Act – health labelling on alcohol products including cancer warnings – was due to take effect this month.
However, the Government decided last year to delay that measure for two years amid the trade uncertainty last summer caused by US president Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The Social Democrats’ Bill seeks to apply the advertising provisions of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act to advertisements for zero alcohol products.
The Government agreed to oppose the Bill during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
A statement said: “There is no public health consensus on whether the promotion of zero and low alcohol products will be a public health harm or benefit overall.”
The Government concedes that “such advertising may also serve to indirectly promote alcohol products”.
It has asked the Health Information and Quality Authority to review the matter “to facilitate evidence-based decisions on these products, and their promotion”.
Meanwhile, the Government noted that section 13 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act – which has not yet commenced – requires that advertisements for alcohol products must contain health warnings.
It said the proposed Bill would “apply that measure to zero alcohol products which have none of the health risks associated with alcohol. This could be the cause of a legal challenge as advertisements for products with none of the health risks associated with alcohol would be required to carry health warnings.”
