Drinks Ireland supports any measures that retailers take to ensure that alcohol products are sold, promoted and displayed (in-store) in a responsible manner.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Act has implemented a range of restrictions to the visual display, promotions and advertisements of  alcohol products within retail outlets.

Section 22 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act outlines how alcohol may be displayed and advertised within a mixed trade retailers such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and petrol stations selling alcohol.

From November 2020 mixed trade retailers can store alcohol products in a storage unit behind the counter at only one point of sale area and can also display and advertise alcohol products using one of the following three options:

  • A separate area of the shop separated by a physical barrier which has a minimum height of not less than 1.2 metres and through which alcohol and advertisements for alcohol are not visible

or

  • Enclosed adjacent storage units on the shop floor in which the products are not visible up to a minimum height of 1.5 metres

or

  • A maximum of three adjacent units, each of 1 metre width and 2.2 metres high.

The HSE have prepared a guidance note on structural separation. 

Section 23 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act imposes the following restrictions concerning sales promotions of alcohol products and thus prohibits the following:

  • The award of, or use of bonus or loyalty card points in relation to the sale of alcohol products
  • The sale and advertisement of alcohol products at a reduced price or free of charge when sold with one or more alcohol products or another product or service
  • The sale and advertisement of alcohol products at a reduced price for a period of three days or less.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Act defines alcohol as any product with an alcoholic strength above 0.5% ABV per container. The Act does not provide for a definition of a non-alcohol product. When it comes to the display of non-alcoholic beer /wine / cider or spirit-type drinks, retailers have two options;

  1. Display non-alcoholic product variant within the separated area and elsewhere in the store.
    or
  2. Display non-alcoholic product variant elsewhere in the store only.

Advertisements for alcohol are not permitted outside the separated area/units. This includes advertising of alcohol products over an intercom system.