Ireland Takes on Drinking and Cancer

Hi, it’s Peter in Dublin and Thomas in Geneva. We’ve been following the political backlash against an Irish law passed recently that will require labels on wine, spirits and beer to say that alcohol can cause fatal cancers. But before that...

Ireland is making healthcare history again. The small European country led the way on banning smoking in public places in 2004 and now it’s becoming the country with the strictest health labelling on drinks.

From 2026, Irish drinkers will have to look at labels on their favorite bottle of booze informing them of the possible risks of developing liver disease and fatal cancers. While the warnings will not be as graphic as those on cigarette packs, which often include pictures of diseased body parts, they will emphasize potential deadly risks of drinking.

South Korea is the only country so far to have slapped cancer warnings on drink bottles, but Ireland is going a step further, emphasizing the fatal nature of the disease and directing consumers to a website for further information.

The plan has stirred up heavy opposition from a multitude of alcohol-producing countries, with the US, Mexico and the Dominican Republic arguing that the warnings are trade obstacles.

Setting aside the legal arguments, how strong is the science for such warnings? Drinking isn’t as risky as smoking — or is it?

Alcohol has long been classified as a carcinogen, with the World Health Organization saying it can cause at least seven types of cancer.