Minimum alcohol pricing begins: How much will your drinks cost?

Under the new system, a floor price has been set for all alcohol products under which they cannot be sold, meaning heavily discounted slabs of 24 cans of beer or cider must now cost in the region of €40. Picture: Sasko Lazarov

Cheap slabs of beer are now a thing of the past, as the Government’s minimum alcohol pricing comes into force today.

Under the new system, a floor price has been set for all alcohol products under which they cannot be sold, meaning heavily discounted slabs of 24 cans of beer or cider must now cost in the region of €40.

In SuperValu, a slab of 24 cans of Guinness was being sold for €18 yesterday, but under the new laws, that same slab must cost at least €39.77 today. A typical can of beer now costs in the region of €1.70 to €1.80 while a can of stout should come in at just under €1.70.

In Aldi, the cheap larger, Galahad, was sold as low as 75 cents a can but must now cost €1.57. An 11% alcohol bottle of wine will need to cost at least €6.50 while a stronger 13.5% wine will cost €7.89 minimum.

Popular spirits, such as Jameson and Cork Dry Gin, will have to cost at least €22.10 and €20.71 for a 700ml bottle. A 1-litre bottle of 40% alcohol strength will cost €31.56 minimum.

Campaigners have said that minimum unit pricing of alcohol will save lives, cut hospitalisations and bring societal benefits as well as savings for the Exchequer.

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Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said the measure is designed to reduce the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol and delay young people beginning to consume it.

“Addressing the availability of cheap strong alcohol products will reduce the disease and death caused by the harmful use of alcohol and will ensure that cheap strong alcohol is not available to children and young people at pocket money prices," he said.

However, retailers are concerned that the new measure will simply drive consumers across the border where such a system has yet to be introduced.

Minimum pricing was included in legislation that was passed in 2018 but had long been delayed by successive governments on the basis that it wasn't introduced in Northern Ireland. In May 2021, the Government announced it would proceed anyway as it could no longer wait on the North to adopt a similar measure.

Vincent Jennings, chief executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, said the decision to press ahead will devastate retailers.

"I represent retailers that are hard pushed at the moment, particularly as it’s so difficult to get staff and maintain them. 

"They’ve been through a war and it’s given them a kick in the teeth by allowing this product to effectively be exported."

Alcohol Action Ireland has welcomed minimum pricing, saying it has the potential to reduce alcohol-attributable deaths by approximately 197 per year after 20 years, while there will be reduced hospital admissions and savings to the Exchequer from reductions in health, crime and workplace harms.

Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action, said the measure could be a turning point in addressing the problems caused to society by alcohol.

“It will make a further contribution to what we hope is a better, low-risk engagement with alcohol,” she said.