Call to limit alcohol sponsorship

The Government must get fully behind a new strategy to address alcohol misuse, members of the steering group on the issue have said.

The 'Report of the National Substance Misuse Strategy steering group' was published today amid questions about levels of Government support and concerns the drinks’ industry may persuade legislators against its more radical recommendations.

It calls for a ban on all alcohol sponsorship of sporting and large outdoor events, a ban on all outdoor advertising of alcohol, an increase in the excise duties on some alcohol products and the introduction of a minimum price per gram of alcohol.

Four members of Government - Ministers Pat Rabbitte, Leo Varadkar, Jimmy Deenihan and Simon Coveney - have expressed concerns about the proposed restrictions on advertising and the phasing out of events’ sponsorship by 2016.

The report also calls for the introduction of a “social responsibility” levy on the drinks industry which could be used to help fund sporting events and a reduction in the weekly “safe” number of units of alcohol for women from 18 to 11, and for men from 21 units to 17.

Minister of State with responsibility for primary care, Róisín Shorthall, who has championed the strategy, gave a brief statement before the main presentation of the report and then left.

A “huge amount of work” had gone into the report which would be a “welcome contribution to the debate which will now get underway on our relationship with alcohol”.

She plans to bring it to the Oireachtas health committee in coming weeks and to draw up an “clear action plan in two or three months on how society deals with alcohol”.

Asked which recommendations she would like to see in the action plan she said, “a lot of them”.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of the steering committee hoped the report would be “adopted in full” by Government.

Denis Bradley, representative of the voluntary sector on the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and a member of the steering committee, said all politicians must now “grab this report”.

“A lot of these recommendations have been put to Government before and Government has walked away from them. Politicians must look at the report in its totality and not fight for their own narrow interests whether that’s in communications, transport or sport.

“This report is not about stopping drinking, or the nanny state. This is about reducing the amount of alcohol we consume which is outrageously high.”

The average Irish adult consumed 11.9 litres of pure alcohol in 2010, equivalent to 482 pints of lager, 125 bottles of wine or 45 bottles of vodka.

“This report needs Government support. It needs legislative support to bring about the change this country needs,” said Mr Bradley. He called on the four Ministers who had raised concerns , and the Minister for Health James Reilly, to state their support for “the thrust of the report”.

None of the Ministers - all of who were asked - provided a statement of support last night.