Terence Flanagan
Question:563. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if measures (details supplied) will be considered as part of the alcohol strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14427/15]
View answerWednesday, 15 April 2015
Questions (563)
Written answers
The Government has approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. These measures are based on the recommendations contained in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012. The General Scheme of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill was approved by Government on the 3 February 2015. The Scheme includes provisions for minimum unit pricing, health labelling on products that contain alcohol, restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol and the regulation of sports sponsorship. As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the measures are being debated in detail by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. The hearings commenced on the 10 March and are due to conclude next week.
The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will make it illegal to sell or advertise for sale alcohol at a price below a set minimum price. Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) sets a minimum price per gram of alcohol. The minimum price of an alcohol product would be based on the number of grams of alcohol in the product. MUP is a targeted measure, aimed at those who drink in a harmful and hazardous manner, and designed to prevent the sale of alcohol at very cheap prices. MUP is able to target cheaper alcohol relative to its strength because the minimum price is determined by and is directly proportional to the amount of pure alcohol in the drink.
The University of Sheffield study reported that the alcohol products most affected by this policy are those that are currently being sold very cheaply, often below cost prices, in the off-trade, i.e. supermarkets and off-licences. On the other hand, the study found that a ban on below-cost selling (implemented as a ban on selling alcohol for below the cost of duty and Value Added Tax) would have a negligible impact on alcohol consumption or related harms.
The Public (Health) Alcohol Bill will also make it illegal to market or advertise alcohol in a manner that is appealing to children. It provides for the making of regulations regarding the marketing and advertising of alcohol and includes provisions, inter alia, for restrictions on broadcast marketing and advertising, cinema advertising, outdoor advertising, print media and the regulation of sponsorship by alcohol companies. The existing Code of Practice for Sponsorships by Drinks Companies will be put on a legal footing with statutory powers and penalties. The provisions in relation to marketing and advertising will be reviewed after three years to gauge their effectiveness.
The Department of Health is continuing to work on the preparation of the legislation. It is expected that the Bill will be published during this session.