New documents reveal an organised effort by alcohol giants to pressure the Irish government into delaying landmark cancer warnings.
IN 2018, IRELAND passed a law that should have put it at the forefront of global public health policy - cigarette-style cancer warnings on alcohol.
The Public Health (Alcohol) Act would impose warning labels on every single alcoholic can and bottle. The message would simply read: "There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers."
After years of wrangling with Brussels, the plan finally received EU clearance in 2023 and was due to take effect in 2026.
But in July this year, the Government quietly postponed the measure until 2028 - a full decade after it was first announced.
Now, documents obtained under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act reveal exactly how that delay was won.
They show a concerted lobbying campaign by some of the world's largest alcohol producers, drawing in senior Irish ministers, EU trade officials and even White House advisors.
Industry correspondence, briefing notes and US lobbying disclosures - compiled as part of a collaborative investigation by The Journal Investigates, Belgian newspaper De Tijd and Dutch platform Follow The Money - reveal a transatlantic strategy to thwart Ireland's public health plans.
That included weaponising trade threats, leveraging Brussels bureaucracy and using scientific conclusions that have been criticised to downplay alcohol's cancer risks.
Cancer warning labels on all alcoholic drinks sold in the State have been deferred to 2028. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Investigations like this don't happen without your support... Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you.
Support The Journal Investigates
US urged Ireland to pull cancer labels
The alcohol industry's lobbying intensified on both sides of the Atlantic this year, internal government documents obtained under FOI reveal.
According to the US Congressional lobbying register, beer giant Heineken and European brewer AB InBev - makers of Budweiser, Corona and a number of well known brands - both held meetings with the US Trade Representative (USTR).
The documents state these meetings concerned "issues relating to tariffs on imported goods". It is unclear, due to the limited information available on the register, whether Irish legislative issues were discussed.
The register shows law firm Squire Patton Boggs, representing Heineken, met in early 2025 with USTR officials, as well as officials at the White House, to discuss "general trade issues impacting the beer industry".
Again, it is unclear, due to the limited information on the records, whether this included issues on Ireland's upcoming alcohol legislation implementation.
A USTR report released earlier this year reveals that the US government previously pressed Ireland to abandon the health warning labels after consulting with alcohol producers.
The report states it raised "procedural concerns" about the regulation in March 2024 to the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade Committee, describing it as a "barrier to trade".
It adds that the US industry has "raised concerns that unique labeling [sic] requirements for the Irish market... would be costly and [might] disrupt U.S. exports within the EU single market".
As far back as 2018, when Ireland's proposals were first announced, Heineken outlined its opposition to then Health Minister Simon Harris.
In a letter sent to Harris, Heineken expressed its worry that the law would "seriously damage" the reputation of its beer brand.
Its corporate affairs director warned that the measure would also make Ireland "less attractive for investment from large global players" and "impact production [and] innovation" of the company in Ireland.
In a statement to our team, Heineken said it takes responsible alcohol consumption "seriously" and provides "easily accessible and transparent" information to customers.
"In addition to the information on our packaging, our products also include a QR code that allows consumers to access additional information about alcohol and health," a spokesperson said.
"This information aligns with the conclusions of a comprehensive review of scientific studies on alcohol and health, published last December by the US National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine."
The beer giant added that it is an active member of key industry bodies, including Drinks Ireland, and engages with various "stakeholders" both nationally and at an EU level, to ensure that policy is developed in a "balanced and well-informed manner".
Despite numerous requests for comment, AB InBev failed to respond.
US President Donald Trump announces Reciprocal Tariffs in the garden of the White House in April 2025. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Closed door meeting with the Taoiseach
On home shores, in the first months of 2025, there were seven closed-door meetings between Big Alcohol reps and the Irish government.
These meetings mostly surrounded trade tariff fears, however the issue of alcohol labelling was also a talking point.
In April, Drinks Ireland - the industry trade group representing international brands such as Guinness and Heineken - secured a face-to-face meeting with the Taoiseach.
According to internal meeting notes obtained by our investigation team, the group stressed the hardship faced by the sector because of the Trump tariffs, and were "seeking delay" in the rollout of the health warnings.
In making their case, Drinks Ireland invoked the fact that the cancer warnings were opposed by the Trump administration.
When contacted, Drinks Ireland did not directly comment on its meeting with the Taoiseach, or communications with government departments.
However, a spokesperson for the group said the proposed legislation was "cited internationally as a non-tariff barrier to trade at a time when Irish businesses need a fair, supportive and positive trading relationship with their markets".
Asked about the April meeting, a spokesperson for the Taoiseach said it was "one of many undertaken by the Taoiseach and other Ministers" with different business groups and investors in relation to "trade developments".
We also asked the Department of Health about the government's decision to postpone the first-of-its-kind legislation.
A spokesperson said: "The Regulations were previously designed to come into operation in 2026. In accordance with the Government Decision, the Regulations will now come into operation in 2028."
Taoiseach Micheál Martin met with industry group Drinks Ireland three months before cancer warning labels on alcoholic drinks were postponed. rollingnew.ie rollingnew.ie
Warnings described as 'fearmongering'
The tactics used by the alcohol industry to resist the cancer warning labels went far beyond economic arguments, documents reveal.
When first announced, Ireland's proposals went further than EU labelling, which meant Brussels would have to sign off on the legislation.
Fearing the Irish position would set a European precedent, 'Big Alcohol' lobbied the EU hard.
In 2022, Drinks Ireland submitted a position paper with the European Commission, which stated the proposed Irish health warnings were "fearmongering" and "misinformation".
The group commissioned a report from Gradient, a US consultancy which has been criticised in the past over reports disputing research on health risks associated with controversial industries such as asbestos and fossil fuels.
Its lead toxicologist, Dr Julie Goodman, previously authored work claiming there were reduced health risks associated with" light" cigarettes produced by Philip Morris, and argued that there was a "safe dose" of asbestos.
In the commissioned report, Goodman argued there was "no consistent association" between moderate drinking and cancer risk, except in a few cases where the risks were "very small".
Goodman's conclusion was criticised by Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, a senior policy expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe, who described Goodman's claims as "very misleading".
There is "indisputable evidence" that alcohol, even in moderation, can cause several types of cancer, said Ferreira-Borges.
WHO research shows that one third of alcohol-related breast cancer cases occur in women who drink no more than two small glasses of wine a day.
Health policy specialist Dr Luc Hagenaars of Amsterdam University Medical Center said that Goodman's paper for Drinks Ireland was a "well-known strategy" in the lobbying playbook of industry more broadly.
Sign up
The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. Our newsletter gives you an inside look at how we do this. Sign up here...
Sign up
"We've seen these kinds of studies with the industries behind fossil fuels, tobacco, ultra-processed foods and PFAS [commonly known as forever chemicals]," he said.
Challenging science is a key tactic companies use in the defence of their products.
We asked Drinks Ireland about its report, the claims made and its lobbying of Dublin and Brussels over alcohol health warning labels.
A group spokesperson said it has "consistently stressed the need for a harmonised EU approach" to health labelling in order to "protect the integrity of the Single Market".
"We believe that future labelling requirements are best pursued at European level, ensuring consistency of information to consumers across the EU," a spokesperson said.
In response to questions from our team about the report for Drinks Ireland, Gradient said it stood by its conclusions and that the paper "followed established scientific principles".
We also contacted Goodman about the criticism of the Drinks Ireland report, as well as other work carried out by the toxicologist.
However, we failed to receive a response by the time of publication.
Ireland's health warning labels on all alcoholic drinks have been deferred to 2028. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Brussels backs away from warnings
The pushback worked and in July this year, the Government confirmed the cancer warnings would be postponed until 2028, citing trade tensions.
To the industry, it was a victory, but to health campaigners, it was a bitter setback - especially in Ireland.
Alcohol is deeply woven into Irish culture, from the pub trade to global exports. But the harm is clear.
According to WHO, Ireland has among the highest alcohol consumption rates in Europe, with more than 5,000 deaths per year attributable to drink, from liver disease to road accidents.
WHO unequivocally states that, relating to cancer, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
"This isn't just a delay; we fear it could lead to the proposal being derailed altogether," said Sheila Gilheany, director of Alcohol Action Ireland.
"To get an EU-wide label would take forever. There's currently no plan on the table for such warning labels. And if there were, it would probably be very much watered down."
When Ireland first proposed its law, it fitted well with Brussels flagship Beating Cancer Plan.
In early drafts, the European Parliament called for sports sponsorship bans and mandatory health warnings. But after heavy lobbying, those commitments were watered down.
Today, the Commission talks vaguely of "evidence gathering", but specific deadlines for cancer warnings have disappeared from its roadmap.
Instead, officials are leaning towards QR codes, digital images scanned by mobile devices which link to online nutritional and health information.
But research shows that almost nobody scans them. In one 14-country study, only 0.26% of shoppers actually used a code on packaging.
"People don't engage with QR codes, unless they have an incentive," said Dr Ferreira-Borges. "It's unrealistic to expect consumers to scan a label in the supermarket and look up health information online."
Reporter: Patricia Devlin * Editor (Ireland): Maria Delaney * Social Media: Cliodhna Travers
This investigation is part of a collaboration with The Journal Investigates, Belgian newspaper De Tijd and Dutch platform Follow The Money. It was developed with the support of Journalismfund Europe.
Investigations like this don't happen without your support...
Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Over 5,000 readers have already supported our mission with a monthly or one-off payment. Join them here: