It is “not OK and not healthy” that some supermarkets are currently selling alcohol “cheaper than they are selling water”, according to the Minister for Health.
Stephen Donnelly insisted minimum unit pricing for alcohol is being introduced “because there is powerful evidence this works”.
Speaking at the official launch of the policy in Dublin, Mr Donnelly said there is alcohol-related mortality of more than 1,000 people a year, while international analysis estimated there were 2,700 deaths attributable to alcohol in Ireland in 2016.
He said the number of hospitalisations wholly attributable to alcohol doubled between 1995 and 2018.
The Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, also supported the measure, saying it will save lives, reduce illness, improve quality of life and ease pressure on the health service.
Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Frank Feighan, added: “We know from our modelling and from the evidence from Scotland that minimum unit pricing impacts the most on high-risk, harmful drinkers.
“If we can remove cheap, strong alcohol from our stores, we can reduce the burden of disease and we can put strong alcohol out of the price range of our children and young people.”
Minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Ireland is to take effect from January 1st 2022.
It will see a minimum “floor” price of 10 cents per gram of alcohol, and is designed to target cheap drinks with high alcohol content, and will not apply to alcohol sold in pubs and licensed premises, but to those sold in supermarkets and off-licences.
Officially launching MUP in Ireland today at the @roinnslainte with An Tánaiste @LeoVaradkar, Minister @DonnellyStephen, Sheila Gilheaney of @AlcoholIreland and Prof. Siobhan McHale @HSELive 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/R2HiF4VnNx
— Frank Feighan T.D. (@FrankFeighan) May 5, 2021
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Mr Donnelly said Northern Ireland is “years away” from introducing a similar policy.
He said Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann does not believe he will be able to take introduce a similar measure in this mandate, which is due to end next May.
Mr Donnelly said it is unlikely to be introduced in Northern Ireland before 2023, and added that Ireland is “not willing to wait that long”.
Mr Varadkar said the Irish Government will press Stormont to act.
“I still hope they will follow suit and we will be pressing the parties there to do so, particularly the parties that co-chair the Executive: Sinn Féin and the DUP.”
