Alcohol Action Ireland – the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, has welcomed the legal commencement of new regulations that will be applied to some promotions that incentivise alcohol use, which comes into effect today (Monday 11 January).
The introduction of these regulations is part of a process to de-normalise alcohol as an ordinary grocery product; last November saw the legal commencement of separation of alcohol products in specified licensed premises, the group said in a statement.
The application of these regulations will ensure that the awarding of loyalty card points or similar type points on the purchase of alcohol products will now be prohibited, it added.
Commenting on this development, Eunan McKinney, head of communications at Alcohol Action Ireland, said: "In practice, with so much alcohol now purchased in the retail landscape, these regulations will act as a small impediment to encouraging greater use and so contribute to reducing alcohol harm."
Minimum Pricing
McKinney noted that the fundamental action that is required next is the immediate implementation of minimum pricing of alcohol products, "which has been interminably delayed by government inertia, yielding to the concerns of the alcohol producers."
© 2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
