Alcohol survey: Only about a quarter of the population believe the Government is doing enough to tackle the State's alcohol problem, according to a survey to be published this week.
The Millward Brown IMS survey, which involved a poll of a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 adults, found just 26 per cent of people felt that the Government was doing enough.
Some 85 per cent of those surveyed said they believed the Government should invest in an agency which specifically tackles alcohol-related problems.
The Dáil health committee recommended in June 2004 that a national alcohol control centre be established, but this has not happened.
Some 54 per cent of those surveyed also said they would be prepared to accept an increase in taxation if the money collected was used to tackle the alcohol problem.
There was no tax increase on alcohol products in the last budget.
Those polled were also asked whether they themselves were ever injured, harassed or intimidated as result of alcohol. Some 44 per cent said they had been.
And more than 60 per cent said they personally knew someone who had a problem with alcohol.
The survey, commissioned by Alcohol Action Ireland, will be published tomorrow.
Dr Joe Barry, a committee member of Alcohol Action Ireland, said the findings indicated the Government was out of touch with what the people wanted.
"We met the Taoiseach last year and he is dead keen to work with the drinks industry on this and we feel it's not the best way to go," he said.
"We are looking for a balanced approach. The drinks industry is spending millions on promotions and a Government agency is needed to counteract that.
"We have an Office of Tobacco Control to tackle smoking but have no structure to tackle alcohol which is a huge problem.
"We have about 150,000 regular underage drinkers about which we are not doing anything," he added.
Dr Barry also called again for legislation to restrict alcohol advertising. "The French have severely restricted alcohol advertising," he said.
"This survey indicates the people would welcome stronger action to address this problem."
Earlier this month, Dr Conor Farren, a psychiatrist at St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, told the Dáil health committee that at a conservative estimate five per cent of the population are alcohol-dependent.
Another seven per cent are alcohol-abusive.
Dr Farren also said the State had the highest incidence of binge drinking in Europe in men and it was increasing in women.
He defined binge drinking as six drinks for a male and five for a woman.
There had also, he said, been an increase in alcohol consumption of 40 per cent over the 10 years to 2003.