travel warnings nyc

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NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ISSUES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY

A flash flood watch is in effect for new york city for wednesday morning until thursday afternoon.

• NYC Emergency Management is working closely with the National Weather Service to monitor the storm’s track to determine any potential impacts to New York City. 
• NYC Emergency Management has activated the City’s Flash Flood Emergency Plan.
• NYC Emergency Management is hosting daily interagency conference calls with City and state agencies, utility partners, and public and private partners, to coordinate the City’s preparation for the storm.
• The City’s Downed Tree Task Force has been placed on alert.
• NYC Emergency Management is contact with elected officials and community partners. 
• NYC Emergency Management is issuing Advance Warning System (AWS) messages to service providers to encourage their clients to prepare for the incoming weather. The AWS message is disseminated to more than 1,400 local nonprofits and organizations that work with people with disabilities and access and functional needs.
• If you live in a flood-prone area, keep materials such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber on hand to help protect your home. 
• If you have a disability or access or functional need, make sure your plan addresses how your needs may affect your ability to evacuate, shelter in place, or communicate with emergency workers. Arrange help from family, friends, or service providers if you will need assistance.
• When outside, avoid walking and driving through flooded areas. As few as six inches of moving water can knock a person over. Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control and possible stalling. One or two feet of water can carry away a vehicle.
• Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters.
• If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that tree limbs, leaves, or water can cover downed wires from view. Always stay away from downed power lines because they could be live.
• Report downed wires immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you are in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
• To prepare for a possible power outage, charge cell phone batteries, gather supplies, and turn your refrigerator and freezer to a colder setting. If you lose power, items that need refrigeration will stay cooler for longer.
• Make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are working. Keep extra batteries.
• If you lose power and have a disability, access and functional needs or use Life Sustaining Equipment (LSE) and need immediate assistance, dial 911.
• Do not use generators indoors.
• Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities, access and functional needs, or health conditions. Help them to prepare if needed.

Everything you need to know about visiting New York — city etiquette, when to go, and the latest COVID-19 advisories

• If you're planning a trip to New York, here's what you should know for a smooth and enjoyable stay.
• Brush up on your city etiquette, and pack wisely depending on what time of year you're visiting.
• Visit Insider's hub for travel guides, tips, and recommendations.

If you're planning a visit to New York City, here's everything you need to know to stay safe while traveling, including city etiquette, the latest COVID-19 advisories, and tips on when to visit.

COVID-19 advisories

New York City was hit early and hard by COVID-19, but the city has since fully reopened with regularly updated safety protocols.

Face coverings are no longer required at indoor public places, although they're still mandatory on mass transit, including the subway, and at Broadway shows and other performing arts venues. Private businesses can decide whether or not to enforce their own mask requirement, and some still do, so it's best to keep one handy just in case.

Businesses are also no longer required to ask patrons for proof of vaccination, whether for indoor or outdoor activities. However, in response to an increase in cases, on May 16, the health commissioner's office issued a new advisory that people wear medical masks during public indoor gatherings.

It's important to remember that the situation is fluid, and we recommend following the guidelines of the CDC, WHO, and other reputable agencies.

Related stories

New York is a true four-season city, so the weather will vary dramatically depending on when you visit. Snow season generally starts in December, but is usually heaviest in January and February and can also continue in March. April and May see a fair amount of rainfall interspersed with overcast and sunny days.

The year's hottest months are typically July and August, and high humidity levels often carry through part of September before tapering off to cooler temperatures in October. 

If you want to come in the summer, June is a solid option for generally warm, sunny weather with a chance of rain. Late September and October are the most mild, which makes them a great time for a lot of walking and sightseeing. We also recommend late November and early December as one of the loveliest times of year to visit New York — although it will be colder, it won't be January cold, and that's when the city begins to buzz with holiday markets, window displays, ice skating rinks, and more festivities.

However, if you're looking for a snow-filled holiday, we'd recommend aiming for early- or mid-January, as the snow gets more slushy and wet (aka not fun to trudge through) in February. Just remember to bring a good coat and water-resistant boots, and you can pick up gloves or scarves if needed from the many street vendors that sell winter-weather accessories that time of year.

NYC etiquette

New Yorkers have a reputation for being blunt, some might even say rude, but that attitude usually comes down to the fact that everyone in the city is busy and has somewhere to be. Here are some quick tips to fit in smoothly with locals and enjoy your stay.

• Walk to the right on the sidewalk. If you're in a big group, be courteous and don't take up the whole sidewalk walking side by side.
• Don't stand still in the middle of the sidewalk or on busy street corners where foot traffic is coming from all directions. If you need to pause to check your phone for directions or after exiting a store, simply stand against the side of a building.
• Be aware of your surroundings and don't keep valuables like your phone or wallet in back pockets. 
• On the subway, let riders exit the train first before you get on.
• If you need directions, rather than asking someone walking by (who may not have time to stop or might not live in the area), we recommend running into a bodega or shop and asking someone working inside. 

View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting New York City.

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• THE LOOP | NYC Weather and Traffic Cams Watch Now

Severe storms bring heavy downpours, thunder and gusty winds to Tri-State area

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Severe thunderstorms brought showers and gusty winds throughout parts of the Tri-State area, triggering warnings and watches Monday evening.

While parts west of New York City saw the brunt of the storm, areas closer to the city were hit with diminishing returns as it moved off shore.

However, the storm system brought with it a threat for high winds with gusts up to 60 mph, severe hail and the possibility of an isolated tornado.

As a result, the Office of Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for Monday in New York City.

No flash flooding was anticipated, but localized nuisance flooding was possible during periods of heavy rainfall.

CLICK HERE to get the latest AccuWeather forecast.

Governor Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to take precautions before the system swept across parts of the Southern Tier, Central New York, Mohawk Valley, Capital, Mid-Hudson, and North Country regions, with an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms.

CLICK HERE for the latest local alerts from the National Weather Service.

Hochul urged New Yorkers to use caution and stay alert throughout the day in areas expected to be impacted by severe weather for rapidly changing conditions.

"It is critical that New Yorkers use caution today and stay prepared as severe weather is likely to impact many parts of the state," she said. "The storm system moving through New York has the potential to cause power outages and downed tree limbs and power lines, and I am urging anyone in the path of these storms to keep a close eye on the weather and be prepared to act quickly if severe weather strikes."

Severe Weather Safety Tips

Preparedness:

--Know the county in which you live and the names of nearby cities. Severe weather warnings are issued on a county basis.

--Learn the safest route from your home or business to high, safe ground should you have to leave in a hurry.

--Develop and practice a 'family escape' plan and identify a meeting place if family members become separated.

--Make an itemized list of all valuables including furnishings, clothing and other personal property. Keep the list in a safe place.

--Stockpile emergency supplies of canned food, medicine and first aid supplies and drinking water. Store drinking water in clean, closed containers.

--Plan what to do with your pets.

--Have a portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries, and emergency cooking equipment available.

--Keep your vehicle fueled or charged. If electric power is cut off, gasoline stations may not be able to pump fuel for several days. Have a small disaster supply kit in the trunk of your car.

--Have disaster supplies on hand, including flashlight and extra batteries, battery-operated radio and extra batteries, first aid kit and manual, emergency food and water, non-electric can opener, essential medicines, checkbook, cash, credit cards, ATM cards

Flash Flooding

--Never attempt to drive on a flooded road. Turn around and go another way.

--If water begins to rise rapidly around you in your car, abandon the vehicle immediately.

--Do not underestimate the power of fast-moving water. Two feet of fast-moving flood water will float your car, and water moving at two miles per hour can sweep cars off a road or bridge.

--Follow the 30-30 rule: If the time between when you see a flash of lightning and hear thunder is 30 seconds or less, the lightning is close enough to hit you. Seek shelter immediately. After the last flash of lightning, wait 30 minutes before leaving your shelter.

--Lightning hits the tallest object. If you are above a tree line, quickly get below it and crouch down if you are in an exposed area.

--If you can't get to a shelter, stay away from trees. If there is no shelter, crouch in the open, keeping twice as far away from a tree as it is tall.

--If outdoors and a Tornado Warning is issued, seek shelter immediately. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in a ditch or low spot with your hands shielding your head.

--If at home or in a small building, go to the basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of the building. Stay away from windows. Closets, bathrooms, and other interior rooms offer the best protection. Get under something sturdy or cover yourself with a mattress.

--If in a school, hospital, or shopping center, go to a pre-designated shelter area. Stay away from large open areas and windows. Do not go outside to your car.

--If in a high-rise building, go to an interior small room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. Do not use elevators - use stairs instead.

ALSO READ | Man reunited with doctor, officers who saved his life at airport

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Warning of 'hazardous' conditions, NYC issues travel advisory ahead of storm

J an. 15—STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The New York City Emergency Management Department has issued a travel advisory due to expected snow and possible freezing precipitation Monday night into Tuesday.

"New Yorkers should prepare for hazardous travel conditions tonight and tomorrow," said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. "With cold temperatures and steadily accumulating snowfall overnight, there's a good chance for slick snow-covered roadways and travel delays during the morning commute. We're also closely monitoring the potential for freezing precipitation and a light wintry mix that may result in patchy ice in the late morning through the early afternoon."

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Weather Advisory in effect citywide from 8 p.m. Monday until 1 p.m. Tuesday. The latest NWS forecast calls for light snow to begin as early as 8 p.m. Monday, becoming increasingly steadier and heavier overnight.

The Emergency Management Department warned that freezing precipitation Tuesday may result in an instant layer of ice, particularly on non-snow-covered or exposed roadways that are untreated and/or elevated, such as bridges. The department urged New Yorkers to be mindful of unsafe conditions, not only while driving, but also to avoid slips and falls. The most likely window for freezing precipitation is between about 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the city.

"With snowfall projected to hit our area this evening into tomorrow morning, New Yorkers should take the necessary precautions to remain safe," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "While it's been nearly two years since New York City experienced more than an inch of snowfall, all relevant city agencies have been activated and are prepared to handle whatever comes our way. As a reminder, New Yorkers should sign up for Notify NYC to keep up to date on winter weather."

Accumulations of two to three inches are expected by daybreak Monday, likely resulting in slippery roads for the morning commute. The northern portions of the city could see as much as four inches of snow, according to forecasters.

NYC Emergency Management has proactively activated the city's Winter Weather Emergency Plan in response to the forecasted conditions. This includes conducting coordination calls with the NWS and city and state agencies and utility partners, and bolstering staffing at the Emergency Operations Center. In addition, the New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a snow alert for Monday, beginning around 6 p.m. and remaining in effect through 7 p.m. Tuesday.

More on the upcoming storm

—Timing and expected snow totals of storm expected to hit NYC starting Monday night

—NYC weather: Sanitation Dept. issues snow alert; expect 'limited impacts' to trash collection

—Will NYC finally get snow? Here's the latest forecast as Monday night storm approaches

(c)2024 Staten Island Advance, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Black Ice Threat Looms for Tri-State: Get Real-Time Transit Updates Here

The powerful storm is expected to complicate transit with ice and more. here's the latest info, by nbc new york staff • published december 23, 2022 • updated on december 23, 2022 at 4:58 pm.

A rapidly intensifying winter storm that prompted a state of emergency from New York's governor flooded roads, downed trees and turned air travel into an abject nightmare -- and now the flash freeze threat looms strong.

No matter where you're going, you'll likely encounter delays or cancellations via road, rail, air or even sidewalk. We've got you covered with all the latest need-to-know transit information directly from the sources.

Remember to scroll down to find the latest update from your relevant agency, as transit situations can evolve quickly.

Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.

More Coverage

Historic winter storm drenches ny, nj; now arctic blast brings life-threatening cold.

Caught in Floodwaters? What to Know to Stay Safe Before, During and After a Storm

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Watch CBS News

U.S. issues travel warning for Israel with Iran attack believed to be imminent and fear Gaza war could spread

By Debora Patta , Tucker Reals

Updated on: April 13, 2024 / 5:25 PM EDT / CBS News

Update: Iran launched drone attacks against Israel on Saturday. Read CBS News'  latest coverage here .

Tel Aviv  — Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize within just hours — the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital.

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that a major Iranian attack against Israel was expected as soon as Friday, possibly to include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country. Sources have told CBS News the retaliation could include attacks carried out both by Iranian forces, and proxy groups around the region that it has been funneling additional arms to for weeks.  

The officials said it would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of that magnitude, and while they held out the possibility that the Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to be imminent. 

Asked Friday how imminent he believes an attack is, President Biden responded, "I don't want to get into secure information, but my expectation is sooner than later." The president urged Iran not to move forward, saying his message to Tehran was: "Don't."

Tehran has not indicated publicly how or when it will return fire, so it's unclear how far Iran's leaders will go. If they decide to carry out a direct attack on Israel, there's fear it could blow Israel's ongoing war against Iranian ally Hamas up into a much wider regional conflict.

With the Iranian retaliation expected at any time, the U.S. State Department on Thursday warned Americans in Israel not to travel outside major cities, which are better protected from incoming rocket fire by the country's Iron Dome missile defense system. The latest guidance noted that travel by U.S. government employees in Israel could be further restricted with little notice as things develop in the tinderbox region.

"Whoever harms us, we will harm them," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday as he visited troops at an Israel Defense Forces airbase. "We are prepared … both defensively and offensively."

On Saturday, all U.S. embassies in the Middle East were put on high alert and required to hold emergency action committee meetings. Diplomats in Lebanon and Israel were specifically told not to travel to certain areas within those countries.

Sima Shine, a security expert and former official with Israel's national intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News it was a dangerous moment for the region, and the "most worried" she has been. She said anxiety over an all-out war was likely just as high "on both sides, in Israel and in Iran."

If Iran does choose to strike Israel directly, it could involve a complex missile and drone attack similar to the one Iranian forces launched against a Saudi oil facility in 2019 .

"They will try to do it on the military or some military asset," Shine predicted. "But the question will be the damage. If there would be many injured people, killed or injured … I think it has the potential for a huge escalation."

Shine stressed, however, that she still believes neither side actually wants a regional conflict.

U.S. "really trying to avoid war"

The U.S. sent a senior general to Israel this week to coordinate with the close American ally on any response it might make to an Iranian attack. Speaking Friday on "CBS Mornings," America's top military officer said, "we're really trying to avoid war."

"This is part of the dialogue that I have with my counterparts within the region, to include the Israeli chief of defense, who I talked to yesterday," said Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., adding that the U.S. military was "doing things not only to prevent a war, but at the same time, one of my primary things is to make sure all the forces in the region are protected."

"My role, as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is to plan and prepare," Brown said. "That's one thing we do very well."

Brown's Israeli counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, "completed a comprehensive situational assessment on the readiness of the IDF for all scenarios," Israel's military said Friday. 

"The IDF is very strongly prepared, both offensively and defensively, against any threat," Halevi was quoted as saying in the statement. "The IDF continues to monitor closely what is happening in Iran and different arenas, constantly preparing to deal with existing and potential threats in coordination with the United States Armed Forces." 

The IDF said the visiting U.S. general, Central Command chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, was taking part in the IDF's situational assessment.

The dilemma for Iran, said Israeli expert Shine, is to figure out how to deliver its promised response to Israel's attack in Syria, but in a way that does not lead to further escalation. Likewise, Shine said Israel could choose to show restraint when it responds to whatever Iran eventually does.

If either side gets the balance wrong, the consequences for the region, and even the world, could be dire.

Weijia Jiang, David Martin, Margaret Brennan and Olivia Gazis contributed reporting.

• Middle East
• Benjamin Neta​nyahu

Debora Patta is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in Johannesburg. Since joining CBS News in 2013, she has reported on major stories across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Edward R. Murrow and Scripps Howard awards are among the many accolades Patta has received for her work.

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Should Alcoholic Beverages Have Cancer Warning Labels?

Ireland will require them starting in 2026, and there are nascent efforts elsewhere to add more explicit labeling about the health risks of drinking.

An example of a label that will be added in 2026 to all beer, wine and liquor sold in Ireland, emphasizing ties between alcohol use and liver disease or cancer. Credit... Alcohol Action Ireland

Supported by

By Ted Alcorn

• Published April 9, 2024 Updated April 11, 2024

Fifteen words are roiling the global alcohol industry.

Beginning in 2026, containers of beer, wine and liquor sold in Ireland will be required by law to bear a label in red capital letters with two warnings: “THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND FATAL CANCERS” and “DRINKING ALCOHOL CAUSES LIVER DISEASE.”

The requirement, signed into law last year, is backed by decades of scientific research and goes much further than any country has thus far communicated the health risks of alcohol consumption. It has sparked fierce opposition from alcohol businesses worldwide, but it is also inspiring a push in some other countries to pursue similar measures.

“It’s an important step,” said Dr. Timothy Naimi, the director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. “People who drink should have the right to know basic information about alcohol, just as they do for other food and beverage products.”

In Thailand, the government is in the final stages of drafting a regulation requiring alcohol products to carry graphic images accompanied by text warnings such as “alcoholic beverages can cause cancer,” according to The Bangkok Post .

A bill has been introduced in the Canadian Parliament that would require labels on all alcoholic beverages to communicate a “direct causal link between alcohol consumption and the development of fatal cancers.”

Last week, the Alaska State Legislature held a committee hearing on a bill that would require businesses selling alcohol to post signs carrying a cancer warning.

Norway, which already heavily regulates the sale of alcohol, is developing proposals for introducing cancer warning labels. The country’s state secretary, Ole Henrik Krat Bjorkholt, who followed Ireland’s effort with great interest, said in an interview, “I think it’s probable that we will implement something similar.”

Ireland has been a trailblazer in setting aggressive public health policies before. In 2004, it became the first country to ban smoking in indoor workplaces, including bars and restaurants, a policy since adopted in over 70 countries. The warning label requirement for alcohol could be the start of a similar change in how beverages are packaged, and a vehicle for raising awareness about the dangers of drinking, however small the amount.

A long fight

The evidence linking drinking and cancer is well established. In 1988, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that alcohol is carcinogenic to humans. Research in the decades since has only strengthened the conclusion, including for breast, liver, colorectal and esophageal cancers. In November, the W.H.O. and the I.A.R.C. declared in a joint statement : “No safe amount of alcohol consumption for cancers can be established.”

Despite this, the connection between alcohol and cancer isn’t well known. In the United States, a recent nationwide survey found that about one in three Americans was aware that drinking increased the risk of cancer.

Globally, only a quarter of countries require any kind of health warning on alcohol, according to a recent study , and the mandated language is generally imprecise. The United States last altered its warning labels in 1989 , when it introduced language that discouraged drinking during pregnancy, or before driving or operating heavy machinery, and that vaguely acknowledged that alcohol “may cause health problems.”

It took over a decade for Ireland’s labeling requirement to become a reality, according to Sheila Gilheany, chief executive of the advocacy organization Alcohol Action Ireland, who described it as “the most contested piece of legislation in Irish history.” She said that the effort began in 2012, when a steering group assigned to address the country’s high rate of alcohol-related deaths recommended a raft of measures, including warning labels.

Many of the recommendations were watered down by the time they became law in 2018, but the labeling requirement made it through unscathed. It took another four years for lawmakers to hammer out the specific wording and the design that would be required.

As those details were decided, alcohol companies stepped up their protests. In late 2022, a group of major alcohol-exporting European countries submitted formal objections to the European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch, arguing that Ireland’s labels impeded free trade and were not appropriate or proportionate to the objective of reducing alcohol’s harms.

When the commission raised no objection, Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, called the Irish proposal “an attack on the Mediterranean diet.” The language in the labels “doesn’t take into account the difference between moderate consumption and alcohol abuse,” he said on Twitter .

Coordinated industry opposition

Alcohol businesses are fighting on multiple fronts to keep the Irish labeling requirement from taking effect. At committee meetings of the World Trade Organization in June and November, trade groups and eleven alcohol-exporting countries, including the United States, expressed concerns, questioned the scientific validity of the cancer warning and argued that Ireland’s labels would infringe on free trade.

In comments submitted to the World Trade Organization, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States called the labels “inaccurate” and “misleading.” The group also suggested that “this important public health objective would be best managed” as part of a parallel effort to address cancer in the European Union, an area where the alcohol industry has proved to have greater influence.

The European Commission was supposed to propose language for alcohol health warnings as part of the its Beating Cancer Plan by the end of 2023 but failed to meet that deadline. In December, over the objections of the World Health Organization , the European Parliament approved a report that did not affirm the need for warning labels, instead calling for information on “moderate and responsible drinking.”

In the final report, its authors repeatedly watered down language about alcohol’s role in disease, narrowly warning only about “harmful” or “excess” consumption.

Size and design

Cormac Healy, the director of Drinks Ireland, a trade group, said that his organization wasn’t entirely utterly opposed to health warnings. But he said that the mandated size of the labels would be impractical for use on smaller products, picking a 50-milliliter bottle up from his desk to demonstrate. And the warning language itself was “disproportionate and inaccurate,” he said, and primarily geared toward scaring people.

“To inform, to educate — you can’t really do that on a label,” he added.

In the United States, alcohol warning labels are typically on the back of the bottle or can, where they blend in with other graphic features. Dr. Marissa Hall, an assistant professor in the department of health behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that the labels would be more effective at catching a purchaser’s eye if they were on the front, included an image or icon, and featured one of a rotating group of brief messages.

Dr. Hall recently received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to test the impact of stronger design features. When she tells friends about her research, many are surprised to learn the United States requires warning labels at all, she said, because the existing ones so easily go unnoticed.

“They have no idea,” she said.

In the last 15 years, a few countries have proposed stronger alcohol warning labels, but each has been met with fierce opposition, said Paula O’Brien, a professor of law at the University of Melbourne. In 2010, Thailand proposed requiring a rotating group of warnings accompanied by graphic color imagery; O’Brien called it “the high-water mark for alcohol labeling.” But at the World Trade Organization, other countries raised concerns that the labels would restrain free trade, and the measure stalled.

In 2016, South Korea overcame similar objections to mandate a group of warning labels, some of which link alcohol with cancer, that alcohol makers can choose from to put on their products.

Even research on the topic has been contentious. In 2017, Yukon, a sparsely populated territory in northwest Canada, forged a partnership with scientists to introduce and test the impact of brightly colored warning labels, one of which included the phrase “alcohol can cause cancer.” But after alcohol trade groups complained, the local government paused the study out of fear it would face a lawsuit that it could not afford to fight.

“I was a bit surprised about the strength of the reaction,” said Dr. Erin Hobin, a scientist at Public Health Ontario who led the project in Yukon.

When the researchers resumed the study several months later, on the condition that the cancer warning be omitted, they found that people buying alcoholic beverages featuring the labels were still more likely to notice the messages, and reported reducing their drinking. Sales of products carrying the labels also fell by around 7 percent during the intervention and several months that followed.

Most importantly, Dr. Hobin said, as drinkers grew more informed about the link between alcohol and cancer, they also became more likely to support policies for controlling alcohol availability, pricing and marketing, which have been shown to reduce drinking even more.

If the alcohol industry dissuaded the European Union from adopting warning labels, it would keep Ireland isolated and out of harmony with European law. That could ultimately form a basis for challenging the labeling requirement in Irish courts, said Dr. Ollie Bartlett, an assistant professor of law at Maynooth University in Ireland. But he said that such efforts were unlikely to prevail because Ireland’s alcohol warning labels are “proportionate to the objective of protecting public health.”

Observers say the European Union isn’t likely to take any further action until after parliamentary elections this summer. And there’s no indication that Ireland will retreat from its commitment to require the labels starting in May 2026.

Dr. Gauden Galea, a strategic adviser at the World Health Organization, said he was confident that broader labeling efforts would eventually succeed. At 63, he’s old enough to recall how cigarette companies once advertises on the front pages of newspapers, he added.

Eventually, he hopes, “People will not remember the time when you needed a warning on pesticides, but could sell an unlabeled carcinogen like alcohol with impunity.”

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Should alcoholic beverages have cancer warning labels? Ireland will require them starting in 2026, and there are nascent efforts elsewhere .

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