There has been a renewed call for pregnancy warning labels to appear on alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol Action Ireland are seeking implementation of the measure after Australia and New Zealand's rulings to make the warnings mandatory there within three years.
The regulation has not come into effect in Ireland despite being contained in the Public Health Alcohol Act.
Eunan McKinney, Head of Communications at Alcohol Action Ireland said the warning to pregnant mothers needs to be very direct.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Mr McKinney said the measure is "not a silver bullet" but is rather one of 12 proposals included in the Act to work coherently to reduce alcohol harm.
He said the rulings in Australia and New Zealand "set a clear precedent" that product cannot be sold unless people are aware of the dangers of consuming it.
He added: "What Australia and New Zealand have now is a clear and unambiguous warning like one would see on a tobacco packet which has a line around it, a white space, and it says clearly 'pregnancy wearing' in red lettering and underneath saying 'alcohol can cause life-long harm to your baby'.
"That's a very powerful message, that's a very clear, distinctive message."
He said Ireland's warning would be similar to this and would also show a direct link to the consumer between alcohol and cancer.
Mr McKinney said it would be "very important" that the Minister for Health enacts the measure soon.
He said: "He's in a new brief, he's in a new government.
"We have unfortunately seen over 600 days in delay on the measures.
"We think that now it's a good opportunity to do this and I think what has happened in Australia and New Zealand is a hugely important one and it gives the minister great scope with which to proceed at this point."
