Recent developments in public health in Ireland and Northern Ireland
IPH informs public policy to improve population health on the island of Ireland. We do this by undertaking research and analysis and developing policy briefs and submissions for government departments and parliamentary committees on a range of public health issues. 2024 saw significant commitments and developments to reduce harms from tobacco and nicotine, alcohol, and gambling products in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Alcohol
Northern Ireland: Proposals to introduce Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Northern Ireland moved a step closer in 2024, following a commitment by Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt MLA, to the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Health. This followed an event hosted by IPH at Stormont on the potential of MUP to reduce levels of alcohol harm in Northern Ireland. MUP for alcohol is in place in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Tobacco
Northern Ireland: The UK Parliament Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced in 2024 to phase out the sale of tobacco and tackle vaping across the UK. A ban on the sale of single use vapes is expected to be introduced in Northern Ireland by April 2025.
IPH provided evidence on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly. IPH also undertook a review of the health effects of vaping in children and adolescents to inform policy development in Northern Ireland, as recently published in The Lancet.
Ireland: In 2024, Ireland approved legislation to raise the minimum age of sale of tobacco products to 21 years, putting it on course to be the first country in the European Union to do so.
Gambling
Ireland: The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) was established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to license and regulate gambling services in Ireland. IPH is a member of GRAI Research Steering Group. As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, IPH gave evidence to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice on the Gambling Regulation Bill. A 2023 report, published by IPH, found that almost a quarter of 16-year-olds in Ireland gambled for money in the previous year.
Northern Ireland: In 2024, the Northern Ireland Assembly All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling identified gambling as a significant public health challenge. IPH gave evidence to the APG as part of its 14-month inquiry, which recommended a public health approach to address gambling-related harms. The Department for Communities is currently consulting on The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 Gambling Code of Practice. IPH is developing a response to this consultation.
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About the Institute of Public Health Established as a north/south agency in 1998, the Institute of Public Health (IPH) has been shaping public health policy across the island of Ireland for over 25 years. Our work focuses on promoting health and wellbeing, improving health equity, and reducing health inequalities throughout the life course. IPH is jointly funded by the Departments of Health in Ireland and Northern Ireland and works with a variety of stakeholders across the island, the UK and Europe. |
Further information on tobacco, alcohol, gambling and other public health topics can be found at
W: www.publichealth.ie
