Ireland: legislation mandating health warning labels for alcohol to take effect in May 2026

Ireland became the first country to mandate health warning labels on all alcohol beverages as its Minister for Health signed legislation requiring labeling on alcohol beverages to include calorie content and grams of alcohol, as well as warnings regarding risks of cancer and liver disease and dangers of drinking while pregnant – which will take effect on 22 May 2026.

The health minister said that he “looked forward to other countries” following Ireland’s example, and Ireland’s Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy reportedly claimed that “medical evidence showed even low levels of alcohol consumption incurred a cancer risk.”