Irish Cancer Society welcomes Minister's support for cancer labelling

Society - 'Move positions Ireland as global leader'

The Irish Cancer Society has today welcomed Minister Simon Harris' support for the inclusion of cancer labelling in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, relayed to the Society by the Minister yesterday evening.

Head of Services & Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society, Donal Buggy said: "This is a very welcome development which re-affirms support for the inclusion of cancer labelling in the Bill, and positions Ireland as a global leader in public health."

The move comes after a long and protracted campaign to get the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas. 

“It is vital now that this first piece of public health legislation on alcohol passes through the Dáil tonight. 

"The Society has championed this measure since the Bill was first published, and has supported the proposal forcefully since Senator Ged Nash introduced it in the Seanad last year. We're pleased to see leadership from both government and opposition spokespeople. The strong cross-Party support for this ground-breaking measure is heartening."

The introduction of this measure will ensure that the public are informed of the risks of consumption by way of factual, evidence-based labelling, which allows them to make a fully-informed choice. The move is supported by Cancer Research UK, the US Alcohol Policy Alliance, the European Public Health Alliance, the World Cancer Research Fund International and United European Gastroenterology, among others.

"Ireland is now a leader in the field, thanks to this provision and alongside the hugely important and innovative actions in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, which will help change our relationship with alcohol and pave the way for others to do so too."