‘Wine shouldn’t be sold for less than €10’
The committee wants the minimum price for alcohol set at the upper level of €1.10 per unit being considered by the Government.
This would see the price of the standard bottle of wine with 13% alcohol content top €10 in shops.
A shake-up of the way drinks are sold would also see alcohol products displaying similar health warnings to those on cigarette packets.
Calorie details and alcohol levels would also need to be prominent, according to the report released today.
“Clear health warnings are to be included on alcohol products, indicating that alcohol causes disease. Health warnings should be given prominence with an emphasis on visual graphic designs for maximum effect,” the report states.
Committee chairman Jerry Buttimer denied that its members were killjoys effectively introducing a “booze tax” by the backdoor.
“This is a practical, and workable way of reducing the levels of alcohol consumed by people at risk,” said Mr Buttimer. “It is needed to deal with the harmful impact of drinking on society, on suicide levels, on levels of hospitalisation.
“We are not trying to be killjoys we are trying to target those people in most risk, not those who want to enjoy the odd pint at the weekend.
“There is strong international evidence that a minimum unit price for alcohol is an effective way of dealing with this problem.”
While a blanket ban on advertising around sporting events has been rejected, the committee wants no alcohol promotions during TV programmes unless their under 18 audience is less than 10%.
This could lead to an effective alcohol advertising ban on international soccer and rugby games if Health Minister Leo Varadkar accepts it into the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill that he is currently preparing.
A number of alcohol awareness organisation have called for a total ban on alcohol products being linked with, or advertised at, sporting events.
However, Mr Varadkar has rejected this idea until a replacement for the €20m alcohol sponsorship brings into sport can be found.
The committee has called for Mr Varadkar to ban sponsorship of sporting events by alcohol brands over time, and wants a complete ban on all alcohol TV advertising before the 9pm watershed.
With Mr Varadkar considering a minimum price range of between 60c and €1.10 per unit, accepting the committee’s recommendation of the upper limit could see a 500ml can of 5% proof lager unable to be sold for less than €2.
With many supermarkets using “loss-leader” alcohol promotions to bring in customers, the committee states a minimum price unit would be effective in cutting consumption and reducing drink-related deaths, crimes, and work place absences. It also called for a ban on outdoor advertising of alcohol within a 250m distance of schools.
“We as a nation have to see a cultural and behavioural shift around alcohol and this pre-legislative scrutiny, the report and the minister’s bill will be the catalyst for change we hope,” said Mr Buttimer.
In the past, Mr Varadkar has defended alcohol sponsorship of sports events, saying the industry also supports musical and cultural events without the same level of controversy.
