The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) is calling on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to its world-leading alcohol labelling regulations and to reject calls for any further examination or delay of their implementation, currently scheduled for May 2026.

In a letter sent to the Taoiseach this week, EASL expressed deep concern over recent comments by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and lobbying efforts from the alcohol industry—particularly through IBEC and Drinks Ireland—aimed at postponing or weakening the Public Health Alcohol Labelling Regulations of 2023.

“These modest but essential regulations are about giving consumers the right to know the facts,” said Aleksander Krag, EASL Secretary General. “Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, just like tobacco, and is directly linked to liver disease and multiple cancers. Suggesting that warning labels are disproportionate ignores the scientific consensus and the significant human and economic cost of alcohol harm.”

EASL, the leading European liver health medical association, points to clear evidence: even light alcohol consumption increases the risk of several types of cancer. In Ireland, alcohol causes approximately 1,000 cancer cases and 1,500 deaths each year. Liver disease rates have steadily increased over the past two decades.

Alcohol costs the Irish health service around 11% of its total budget. According to the World Health Organization, the broader annual cost to the Irish state—including healthcare, criminal justice, and lost productivity—is €12 billion. In contrast, alcohol excise duties bring in just €1.2 billion annually.

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