The price of alcohol in Irish supermarkets and off-licences are set to increase after Christmas as a result of a new law.
Minimum unit pricing will come into effect from January 4 as part of the implementation of the Public Health Alcohol Act (2018).
Under the new rules, different alcohol products cannot be sold for less than the set minimum price.
It doesn’t matter where the alcohol is sold, whether that be off-licences, supermarkets, bars or restaurants, as the minimum price stays the same.
In Ireland, one standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol and the minimum price for one standard drink will now be €1.
Most alcoholic drinks are already above this, especially in pubs, clubs and restaurants.
The new pricing will see the lowest cost of a 500ml can of lager beer rise to €1.70, while the cheapest pint will be around €1.98.
A 750ml bottle of wine with an alcohol proof of 12.5% and lower will rise in price from around €5 to €7.40. It will cost 35c more for wine with a higher alcohol percentage.
As for spirits, many of these drinks contained a higher alcohol percentage meaning they will see the biggest jump in prices.
A 700ml bottle of gin or vodka sold in supermarkets will cost at least €20.71, with this rising to €22.09 for whiskey.
According to the HSE, research from 2019 shows that on average, every person in Ireland aged 15 and over drank 10.8 litres of pure alcohol a year.
That is the equivalent of either 40 bottles of vodka, 113 bottles of wine or 436 pints of beer.
It is hoped that the introduction of minimum pricing will result in around 200 fewer alcohol-related deaths and 6,000 fewer hospital admissions per year in Ireland.
Research by the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group also found that when minimum unit pricing on alcohol is introduced in Ireland, alcohol consumption is expected to reduce by almost 9% overall.
The heaviest drinkers are expected to reduce their alcohol consumption by 15%, while people who already drink within the low-risk drinking guidelines are expected to drink 3% less.
