Irish drink double Europe average

Most Irish drinkers consume almost twice the European average, according to a report published yesterday.

The Joint Committee on Arts Sport Tourism Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs said there was ample evidence of alcohol abuse, including "street aggression violence and even fatalities".

The committee noted alcohol abuse was not included in the National Drugs Strategy and recommended it be included in a new National Substance Misuse Strategy due next year.

Committee chairwoman Cecilia Keaveney revealed that in the 10 years to 1999, per capita alcohol consumption in the Republic rose by 41 per cent. She said latest EU figures showed that per capita consumption was now almost twice the EU average, at 15 litres (26.4 pints) of pure alcohol per year.

She said the results were visible in streets "running puce with vomit, fist-fights in accident and emergency wards and, of course, the inevitable fracturing of relationships and family groupings".

Despite the ability of commentators to "hold forth on the awfulness of it all", Ms Keaveney said "not much has happened at an individual or Government level".

The committee report made just one recommendation, that alcohol be considered as part of the forthcoming drugs strategy.

Ms Keaveney said if it was adopted, significant inroads could be made "into this pernicious social problem by including alcohol in a new national substance misuse strategy accompanied by proper resourcing".

In a separate report, the joint committee also came out strongly against the liberalisation of laws on the use of cannabis.

Linking some mental illnesses - including schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder - to the use of cannabis, Ms Keaveney compared the later-life effects of cannabis to those of sexual abuse.

The report estimated there were about 300,000 cannabis-users in the Republic.

Both reports are available on the website of the houses of the Oireachtas.