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EASL welcomes Ireland’s landmark alcohol labelling policy as a crucial step in reducing alcohol-related harms

(Geneva, 29 January) EASL strongly welcomes Ireland’s upcoming groundbreaking initiative to introduce comprehensive on-label health warnings for alcohol products and urges other countries to follow suit. Scheduled to commence in May 2026, these measures represent a rational  step in  increasing citizen knowledge about the proven risks of alcohol consumption, and ensuring transparency and accountability in alcohol labelling.

Under Ireland’s Public Health Alcohol Act (2018), alcohol products will include warnings about the links between alcohol and cancer, liver disease, and risks to the foetus of consumption during pregnancy. Labels on alcoholic beverages will also provide nutritional information, such as alcohol content in grams, calorie content, and a link to health service alcohol resource website. Ireland is only the second country in the world to mandate cancer warnings on alcohol labels, following South Korea, and the first in Europe.

A public health priority

Alcohol is a major contributor to liver disease, seven types of cancers, cardiovascular disease and numerous other health conditions. Yet, across most of Europe, alcohol products are sold without clear warnings or essential information about their proven risks and contents. Current EU framework labelling requirements exempt beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol from mandatory ingredient and nutritional labelling, leaving consumers unaware of crucial details like calorie content or ingredients.

The absence of transparent labelling is a result of lobbying from the alcohol industry, which continues to prioritise profits over public health. Industry-backed alternatives, such as delivering information via QR codes or websites, are rarely accessed by consumers, as highlighted by research from WHO/EVID ACTION.

Evidence-based reform

Studies show that health warnings on alcohol products can increase public awareness of the risks associated with consumption and influence intentions to drink less. Ireland’s measures have already garnered significant public support. During the EU Technical Regulations Information Process (TRIS), 70% of submissions backed the regulations, despite strong opposition from the alcohol industry. The European Commission upheld Ireland’s decision on public health grounds.

Ireland’s leadership in public health echoes its pioneering role in introducing workplace smoking bans, a policy that has since become the European standard. Similarly, these new labelling requirements have the potential to inspire other countries to adopt similar or enhanced measures.

EASL supports the European Commission’s Beating Cancer Plan, which includes a proposal for mandatory health warnings on alcoholic beverages. Ireland’s policy is a vital first step toward EU-wide implementation of transparent and informative labelling and warnings.

A call for action across the EU

Ireland’s progress aligns with EASL’s ongoing efforts to address the widespread harms of alcohol consumption. On 11 December 2024, EASL and World Health Organization (WHO) (Europe) partnered to host the European Alcohol Health Alliance Symposium in Copenhagen. During this landmark event, representatives from 21 pan-European medical societies and health associations came together to discuss forming a unified alliance dedicated to reducing alcohol-related harms across Europe by making the medical voices heard.

EASL Secretary General Aleksander Krag emphasised the importance of collective action, stating:
“Three million deaths globally—800,000 in Europe—all due to alcohol. By speaking with one voice, we can transform scientific knowledge into policies.”

The European Alcohol Health Alliance will officially launch during the EASL Congress in Amsterdam in May 2025, reflecting a shared commitment to collaboration and urgency in addressing alcohol-related harms.

Further Information:

Wouter Kruijs
EASL Head of Association & Community Services
Email: press@easloffice.eu

About The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)   

Since its foundation in 1966, this not-for-profit organisation has grown to over 6,800 members from all over the world, including many of the leading hepatologists in Europe and beyond. EASL is the leading liver association in Europe, having evolved into a major European association with international influence, and with an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education, and promoting changes in European liver policy. 

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