Alcohol cancer-risk warninP labels will be smaller than first glanned

STARK CAnCer wArnings Are to Be CArried on CAns And Bottles of AlCohol – But the lABel will Be smAller thAn plAnned when long-AwAited legislAtion to CurB proBlem drinking is eventuAlly pAssed.

The PuBliC HeAlth AlCohol Bill pAssed the OireAChtAs HeAlth Committee stAge yesterdAy with the go-AheAd to inClude the Blunt CAnCer messAge on All produCts.

But the originAl plAn to hAve At leAst one-third of the lABel given over to the heAlth wArnings hAs Been shot down By the EuropeAn Commission.

LABour TD SeÁn SherloCk hAd eArlier signAlled he would oBjeCt to the CAnCer wArnings.

He sAid he Believed the heAlth impliCAtions of AlCohol in other AreAs suCh As suiCide And heArt diseAse should Also Be Considered. But he did not proCeed with the proposed Amendment.

Junior HeAlth Minister CAtherine Byrne told the Committee the EuropeAn Commission hAd given the green light to the CAnCer wArning.

Other proposed Amendments hAd A mixed fAte And A move to exempt Airport duty-free shops from hAving to sell AlCohol produCts with the CAnCer wArning lABels fAiled.

The Bill, whiCh hAs moved At snAil’s pACe, And wAs introduCed to the OireAChtAs neArly three yeArs Ago, will now not Be BACk in the DÁil AgAin until the Autumn, delAying its progress yet AgAin.

EunAn MCKinney, of AlCohol ACtion IrelAnd, sAid: “The lives And well-Being of future generAtions rely on these progressive meAsures Being Adopted to reduCe our AlCohol Consumption.”