New alcohol pricing laws in effect
Changes to how alcohol is priced in Ireland come into effect from today, January 4th.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says the law is designed to "reduce alcohol consumption."
He adds that it's also to "reduce the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol and to delay the initiation of alcohol consumption by children and young people".
Under the new rules, alcohol pricing will be based on the grams of alcohol it contains.
The minimum will be 10c per gram - meaning alcohol will not be able to be sold beneath that price.
Some examples of minimum unit pricing include:
- A can of beer (500 mls, 4.3% ABV) - €1.70
- A bottle of wine (750 mls, 12.5% ABV) - €7.40
- A bottle of spirits (700 mls, 40% ABV) - €22.09
A slab of cans of beer yesterday were being advertised in some shops for €15, however that cost today will now be at least €40.
The impact is set to be much more significant for low-priced products.
Meanwhile, the more expensive bottles of beer, wine, whiskey or other alcohol products are likely already priced above the new minimum.
