Adrianna Wrona
Alcohol adverts on television and radio will be banned before 9pm from January 2025, the Department of Health has confirmed.
On World Children’s Day, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly signed the commencement order of restrictions introducing the alcohol broadcast ban. A broadcast watershed for alcohol advertisements on television will be in place before 9pm. Meanwhile, the watershed on the radio will apply from midnight to 10am and then from 3pm to midnight. These changes will come into effect from January 10, 2025.
This measure will help reduce the level of exposure of children to alcohol promotion as it is known to be a key driver to initiating alcohol use by children, and increasing use. It comes as at least 50,000 children start to drink every year in Ireland, and ,claims that Diageo is currently the number four advertiser to children in Ireland. However, two further sections of the Public Health Act remain to come into force, which include placing restrictions on the content of alcohol ads and relate to advertisements in publications.
CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), Dr Sheila Gilheany said: “AAI, along with the members of the Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland, have strongly campaigned over many years to have this common-sense measure introduced which has widespread public support.
“It is particularly significant to welcome this development on World Children’s Day as this is very much a children’s rights issue.
“While we are very pleased to see this commencement order, it is disappointing that it will be over a year before it comes into effect – more than six years since the legislation was passed by the Oireachtas.
“The slow pace of implementation of the PHAA is in stark contrast to the speed with which the government is seeking to increase the availability of alcohol through proposals in the Sale of Alcohol Bill to extend licensing hours and venues.
“It again points to the incoherence at the heart of government in relation to alcohol policy with the Department of Health seeking to decrease alcohol use through the modest measures within the PHAA while the Department of Justice is giving priority to alcohol industry demands.
“Given the appalling tragedy of four deaths every day in Ireland from alcohol, this points again to the need for an Alcohol Office for Harm Reduction which would drive policy in this area and co-ordinate cross-government action,” she added.
Press release of Alcohol Action Ireland
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