Labour Minister hits out at low cost of alcohol and says 'the time is right' to tackle Ireland's 'unhealthy relationship' with drink, writes CONOR POPE
MINISTER OF State for Primary Care Róisín Shortall has restated her commitment to address problem drinking in the Republic. The Minister said she would tackle the “unhealthy relationship” Irish people have with alcohol through a combination of higher prices, restrictions on points of sale and other measures.
Ms Shortall pointed to the dramatic reduction in the real cost of alcohol to consumers in the past decade. Declining prices and more widespread availability in major retailers had become key factors in fostering a culture of excessive alcohol consumption, she said.
“Alcohol is available at an all-time-low price, and that causes or contributes to problems associated with drinking, particularly with younger people but also with people who are problem drinkers,” she said.
The Minister said selling alcohol below cost price was a serious issue and stressed alcohol could not be viewed like any other commodity, given its potential for harm. Alcohol abuse costs the State an estimated €3.7 billion each year through illness, absenteeism and crime. Despite the fact that below-cost selling had driven prices to such low levels, the Minister said she had never raised the issue of pricing or availability with the State’s largest retailers.
Ms Shortall said Irish people had “an unhealthy relationship with alcohol” and “the time is right to tackle that”. She stressed the problem was not confined to a particular cohort and said excessive drinking was an issue for “middle-aged women” who have taken to drinking up to four glasses of wine each night before bed, or older men who drink excessively in their local pub.
Youth Work Ireland expressed support for reported plans to address the low cost of alcohol in Ireland and said such a move was necessary to deal with the State’s alcohol problem. “Irish alcohol policy has been based on a form of laissez faire for far too long and it is high time that the Government take a more hands-on approach to these issues,” Michael McLoughlin of Youth Work Ireland said.
The Irish Bishops’ Drugs and Alcohol Initiative welcomed the proposal to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. Bishop Éamonn Walsh said alcohol was used by multiple retailers as a “loss-leader”. “Alcohol misuse is a public health concern which needs a remedy such as a unique New Year’s resolution between Government, multiple retailers, the drinks industry and the consumer to radically improve – once and for all – the Irish relationship with alcohol.”