The State's alcohol problem must be tackled if the Accident and Emergency crisis is to be resolved, it was claimed today.
Dr Joe Barry, a member of the Government's Taskforce on Alcohol, accused politicians of ignoring its recommendations on how to discourage binge drinking, despite its effects costing the health service an estimated €430 million last year.
He said the group's tough report had been largely ignored by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Mary Harney, in her plan to deal with the casualty overcrowding crisis which is engulfing Ireland's hospitals.
Dr Joe Barry, a member of the Government's Taskforce on Alcohol
"One of the key issues in the health service is alcohol and we were disappointed . . . she made no reference to how to alleviate the alcohol problem," he said.
"What I would like to see is the Government adopt the report and then put in an implementation strategy. The health and social gain would be enormous."
Dr Barry said specific recommendations on how to deal with young drinkers included restricting advertising, raising taxes and random breath testing. But he claimed he had been given no indication as to whether the Tánaiste planned to act on these proposals.
"Everybody knows that putting up the price of drink is unpopular but it's extremely effective. Alcohol is not a normal commodity and the normal free market is not appropriate for dealing with this."
He told RTÉ the ready-to-take-way drinks being produced by the industry, such as Wicked Tasty Treat, Bubblegum and Slippery Nipple, were very toxic. The so-called designer cocktails contain almost off-the-scale percentages of alcohol, Dr Barry said, claiming they were targeted at young teens.
The Strategic Taskforce on Alcohol was established by former health minister Mr Micheal Martin to recommend measures on how to reduce alcohol-related harm.