Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join colleagues in supporting the principle, concept and objectives of labelling as set out under section 11. Senator Colm Burke's point that labelling should be simple, and messages should be short and easily understood, is a good one. I commend to the Minister that the need for simple messages should be taken on board in a big way in the later regulatory stages. I suggest that market research or qualitative research could be done to establish the facets of illnesses that most affect people in a popular sense. It is not possible to chronicle all the illnesses in a label. Perhaps those that most capture the public imagination could be mentioned on labels. Market research can be done to throw up that information. Senator Hopkins has eloquently made the point that a whole catalogue of illnesses are related to alcohol. As Senator Reilly delineated earlier, a number of cancers are associated with alcohol. While that is the case, we could not possibly have a label with all of that information. There should be a focus on the illnesses that are most likely to have an impact.

Although I am speaking in support of labelling provisions, I would also like to make a point about advertising. I think this is the section under which I can most reasonably raise this issue in keeping with Standing Orders. I am very impressed by the current radio advertising campaign. It is part of an alcohol education campaign. I have not seen it on television, but I have heard it on radio in my car. It is an example of very effective messaging. It is very effectively done. I commend it. I suggest to the Minister that he should take this message to the people who are responsible for it. When I listen to it on the radio, I think it is very impactful. It is one of the most effective advertising campaigns to have been run in recent times. I support the concept of labelling, with the proviso as nuanced or delineated by Senator Colm Burke that it must initially be very simple and catchy. It should focus on the most common phobias in order to get to people in a general sense. A long technical label that lists all of the possible illnesses would not or could not work.