An examination of the diversity of beer and cider products sold in Irish supermarkets in the context of health promotion advice

Abstract

Aim: Current health promotion advice relating to the consumption of beer and cider in Ireland is very firmly based on nominal pints and half pints of beer. This study sought to determine if the assumed alcohol strength of beer and cider available in a sample of mainstream supermarkets was appropriate. This study also sought to examine if the assumed size of containers of beer and cider was accurate. Methods: All beer and cider products in a purposive sample of Irish mainstream supermarkets was examined. Data was input into SPSS and examined. Results: There is a substantial level of variation in the container size and alcohol content of beer available in mainstream supermarkets in Ireland. Discussion: Current health promotion advice in Ireland is out of date and does not enable people to easily monitor their drinking and follow healthy drinking guidelines. The obvious answer is the enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, 2018, that has already been passed requiring alcohol containers to display the number of grams of alcohol contained. However, this element of the legislation, despite being passed into law, has yet to be either enacted, or even given a date for enactment.