Advertising of alcohol near schools to be prohibited

Marketing or promoting alcohol near a school or venue with young people will be considered a criminal offence under new legislation to be announced today.

Long-awaited reforms to limit advertising, eliminate the sale of cheap alcohol, and clamp down on drink promotions will be announced by Health Minister Leo Varadkar.

But it remains to be seen whether major drinks sponsorship will be allowed or limited at large sporting and entertainment events.

The bill will restrict alcohol advertisements so they can only give specific information about the product, but be banned from glamourising alcohol or making it appealing to children.

Advertising will be prohibited in certain places including in or near a school, a public playground, a train or bus station as well as designated stopping places for passengers.

A Department of Health source confirmed that it would make promotion or marketing of drink near these places a criminal offence.

“You will not be allowed hang up posters promoting booze near a school,” said a source.

The reforms have been the subject of much debate with conflicting discussion in Cabinet over whether drink sponsorship should be removed from sporting events.

Sources would not confirm whether this had been decided in advance of the bill being published today.

Warnings in relation to the harmful effects of alcohol consumption in general and during pregnancy will also be included in the legislation. Alcohol products will also have to be separated from other items in shops and supermarkets. A 9pm watershed will apply for alcohol advertising on television.

The measures are expected to be challenged by the drinks industry. Scotland recently saw its alcohol restrictions challenged by a European Court of Justice ruling.