DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland will become the first country in the world to require health warnings on all alcohol products.
The new rules were signed by Ireland’s Health Minister Stephen Donnelly on Monday.
New labels will have to include information about the health risks of drinking alcohol, as well as the calories in alcoholic beverages.
But according to the new rules, the marks will only become mandatory in May 2026.
In explaining the new requirements, the Irish government said the labeling regulations would bring alcohol products into line with requirements for all other food packaging.
“I welcome that we are the first country in the world to take this step and introduce comprehensive health labeling of alcohol products,” Donnelly said, as quoted by Sky News.
“I look forward to other countries following our example.”
Requirements require labels to warn of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy, as well as drinking alcohol leading to potentially fatal cancers and the risks of liver disease.
However, eight EU countries have objected to Ireland’s plans to place warning labels on alcohol products, claiming it could cause problems within the EU’s single retail market.
The new rules would require all EU countries to label their alcohol products if they are sold in Ireland.
Italy’s largest farming association, Coldiretti, has described the “frightening” warnings as a “direct attack”.
“The European Union’s green light for alarmist wine labels in Ireland represents a dangerous precedent, as it risks opening the door to other legislation that could adversely affect consumer choice,” it said in a statement.
Source: sn.dk
