Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice will introduce a Bill today to close a loophole in the law that allows the drinks industry to circumvent restrictions on alcohol advertising when it comes to 0.0 products.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s spokesperson on health, said:
“The Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 was a landmark piece of legislation aimed at reducing alcohol use in Ireland. It contained modest controls to restrict alcohol advertising in places where children would be exposed to them – near schools, playgrounds, on public transport, in shops, cinemas and during sports events.
“However, the drinks industry is ignoring the law by advertising zero alcohol products using their normal branding, logos and colours – and why wouldn’t they when no one, including the Minister for Health, is stopping them?
“These zero alcohol drinks share identical markers to their master brands, apart from having 0.0 tagged on at the end. Anyone watching home games in the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship earlier this year would have seen the brand’s logo, with 0.0 slapped on at the end, emblazoned across the venue.
“When people see such an advertisement – even for a 0.0 drink – they see an alcohol brand. Why else would drinks companies so aggressively market products that only account for around 1% of the total alcohol market.
“The Bill I am introducing would amend the existing Act to specifically include alcohol-free and low-alcohol products in the legislation. In doing so, I want to make explicit what is already implicit in the law.”
September 25, 2025