‘Social responsibility drink levy’ plan shelved

The Government has shelved proposals to impose a “social responsibility levy” on the alcohol industry, which was supposed to help fund the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse.

The long-awaited action plan on alcohol has also watered down proposals to ban alcohol advertising on television and radio before 9pm and instead plans an earlier “evening” watershed.

Medical experts and alcohol awareness groups have broadly welcomed the overall plan, particularly the decision to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol — although its imposition is contingent on a legal green light from Europe.

Alcohol industry bodies welcomed the decision to have further talks on sports sponsorship, but they were concerned at advertising and marketing restrictions.

Health Minister James Reilly, Junior Minister Alex White, and Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald published the Government plan yesterday.

It comes 20 months after an expert group on alcohol published its report and follows considerable opposition by four ministers against key recommendations in it.

“This is a landmark day,” said Mr White. “It is the first time alcohol misuse has been addressed as a public health issue.”

He said while the plan was not perfect, it was “more half full, than half empty”.

“It’s taken a long time to get where we are today, too long, but lets press ahead on the areas we agree upon and set up a process to address issues not yet fully agreed.”

A central plank of the plan — and a recommendation in the report of the National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group — is the introduction of minimum pricing.

This is intended to set a floor on the price of alcohol and is aimed to combat cheap and below cost sale in supermarkets and off-licences. Mr White said a north-south study would report next spring which would help set the price and that legislation would follow thereafter. However, he accepted the fate of the plan was in the hands of the European courts where the drinks’ industry was challenging Scotland’s introduction of the scheme.

Elsewhere, the plan was silent on a second key recommendation in the steering group’s report — that of a “social responsibility levy” on the alcohol industry.

This was supposed to fund awareness campaigns, help towards the €3.7bn annual cost of alcohol-related harm and also contribute towards the sponsorship of sport following a ban on alcohol sponsorship.

Mr White said the Government was unable to agree on the levy, but said the finance minister was exploring other ways of recovering monies from any windfall profits earned from minimum pricing.

“While welcoming the overall plan, it’s a pity the levy has been dropped, because the alcohol industry makes a lot of profits and the health services are under huge pressure,” said Dr Joe Barry of Trinity College Dublin.

The Alcohol Beverage Federation welcomed the new statutory codes, but said it was concerned at marketing and advertising restrictions. Alcohol Action Ireland said it was “very encouraging to finally see this Government take decisive action”.

Alcohol blueprint

- Minimum pricing: North-South study under way and legislation to be published next year, but regime contingent on European courts giving it the all-clear.

- Promotion: Limit advertising of alcohol on television and radio from 2016 to “evening hours” (to be set in inter-departmental talks) and restrict outdoor advertising from 2018.

- Display: Separation of alcohol from other products in retail stores under a statutory code of conduct.

- Sports sponsorship: Existing voluntary code to be placed on statutory footing while working group examines the funding and health implications of a ban on alcohol sponsorship, to report in a year.

- Warnings: Health labelling of alcohol products, containing warnings for pregnant women, along with alcohol and calorie content.

- See dohc.ie for more.