New measures to tackle alcohol abuse in Ireland, including a ban on the sale of cheap drink, have been announced by the Government.

The proposed Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 will see a raft of measures aimed at reducing the ‘enormous impact' alcohol misuse currently has on society.

"Most Irish adults drink too much and many drink dangerously. This has an enormous impact on our society and economy through greater illness and higher health costs, public order and violent offences, road traffic collisions, injuries and absence from work. It is also associated with many suicides and instances of sexual violence, domestic violence and child harm," commented Health Minister, Leo Varadkar.

The measures include minimum unit pricing (MUP), which will make it illegal for alcohol to be sold below a set minimum price. The Department of Health insisted that the price of alcohol ‘is directly linked to consumption levels and levels of alcohol-related harms and costs'. It said that when the price increases, ‘consumption rates and harms decrease'.

MUP sets a minimum price per gram of alcohol, therefore the minimum price of a specific product would depend on the number of grams in it.

The department said that this is a ‘targeted measure aimed at those who drink in a harmful and hazardous manner'. It also said that MUP is not expected to affect prices in the on-trade, e.g. pubs, but that it will affect products ‘that are currently being sold very cheaply, often below cost prices, in the off-trade, i.e. supermarkets and off-licences'.

The minimum price will be set when the Bill is published.

Meanwhile the Bill will also make it illegal for alcohol to be marketed or advertised ‘in a manner that is appealing to children'. However drinks companies will still be allowed to sponsor sporting events.

The news was welcomed by the charity Alcohol Action Ireland, which insisted that the measures would have a ‘significant impact'.

"It remains to be seen if the alcohol industry will take a legal challenge with regard to this legislation, specifically minimum unit pricing, as they have done in other jurisdictions," commented the charity's CEO, Suzanne Costello.