Gerald Nash (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 13, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following:

“(iii) a warning that is intended to inform the public of the direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers,”.

I support what my colleague, Senator Reilly, said about the general approach around minimum unit pricing and I support the Minister's position. That has been the consistent position for at least five or six years. An enormous body of work has gone into researching this legislation and reflecting on it in great detail over recent years. I pay tribute to the former Minister, Senator Reilly, for his commitment to this legislation going back quite a number of years. It would be remiss of me as well not to acknowledge the role of my former colleague, Alex White, played in the drafting of this legislation in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

On the amendment, most people would accept that there is irrefutable evidence that there is a direct causal link between certain fatal cancers and alcohol misuse. An analysis of ten-year data, published in 2013, indicates some very concerning figures indeed, for example, that 900 new cancer cases are diagnosed each year that are attributable to alcohol consumption. That same piece of research states that 500 cancer deaths a year are caused by alcohol. That is about ten deaths per week, which I think most would agreed is an unacceptably high level. We need labelling to draw public attention to the causal links between alcohol use and certain fatal cancers. I think the need for that labelling is self-evident. If it is agreed to, this can contribute to the saving of lives and the protection of families and communities, and it is something I appeal to Members to support.

Labelling alcohol products is not new. There are labelling regimes in France and Russia, there is a voluntary code in the UK, and there is a regime in play in Germany. This is not something new and, to the best of my knowledge, it is not something the European Commission, for example, has commented on in the context of our approach in this country towards achieving this particular and critical public health objective. However, I was astounded, when I delved into to this in a little more detail, to read of the lack of knowledge that people in this country and in analogous jurisdictions have about the link between fatal cancers and alcohol use. A huge body of work has been carried out in recent years on the harm as a result of the use of tobacco products, in particular. While I do not have the figures available, I imagine that understanding the harm caused by tobacco products in terms of developing certain cancers and so on is evident. While I am sure we all accept that anecdotally, I am also sure the figures are available to convince us that that is the case. Labelling of tobacco products has had a huge impact in terms of people's attitudes to tobacco use, and I think the same should apply to alcohol.

I implore the Minister to consider this amendment seriously. It is an approach that I think will find favour with the public. Research carried out in 2012 by the Health Research Board indicated that 95% of people, the vast majority, favoured seeing more information being displayed on cans and bottles about the harm caused by alcohol products. It is something this House should consider very seriously.