Cancer charity wants NI alcohol warning labels

Doreen Regan from Cancer Focus NI would like to see a similarly “bold” step being taken in Northern Ireland.

“We know there’s a clear link between drinking alcohol and cancer,” she said.

“It causes seven different types of cancer and the Northern Ireland cancer strategy states that it’s linked to at least 300 cases per year in Northern Ireland.

“So anything that’s going to help prevent that, or help empower people to make more informed choices, we would definitely be in support of.”

However Eoin Ó’Catháin, director of the Irish Whiskey Association. said the new legislation is “causing a lot of concern”.ation.

“To get the labels finalised and everything in order can take quite a long time.

“And some companies are finding it quite challenging that they’d have to have a separate line to produce a label just for the Republic of Ireland.”

Mr Ó’Catháin is worried that warning labels could also have an impact on sales to the lucrative north American souvenir market.

“Lots of people want to take a present back with them to the US to Canada, wherever they’re from.

“Will they pick up the bottle that has this very stark, very big warning label on it? Or will they prefer to pick up the Scotch?

“So there is concern there just from a pure reputation point of view as well.”

A spokesperson for Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said there were no current plans to introduce such requirements on alcohol labelling.

“Given the nature of the market, it is likely that any such changes across the UK administrations would need to be discussed on a four nations basis,” they added.