The restrictions introduced by Minister for Health Simon Harris on alcohol advertising will take effect from this Wednesday. Posters within 200 metres of a school, creche or a local authority playgrounds will be banned. So too will ads on buses, trains at bus stops and train stations. The new ban also extends to cinema ads where audiences are under 18.
The provisions are among 23 sections of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, which was passed by the Oireachtas after taking almost three years going through the Seanad and the Dáil. As well as the ad ban, Minister Harris is expected to seek Cabinet approval before the end of the year for the introduction of minimum unit pricing on alcohol.
Ibec’s Drinks Ireland body says the new provisions could lead to job losses. A spokesperson said the minimum pricing proposal would drive shoppers back over the Border to do their shopping as there would be a 30 per cent differential, even with a poor exchange rate. New rules on in-store storage of alcohol must be in place by November 2020.
