SEAN O'NEILL,
Madam, - We welcome the decision of Micheál Martin, Minister for Health and Children, to set up a Departmental Committee to draw up proposals for legislation restricting alcohol advertising aimed at young people (The Irish Times, January 23rd).
Among the proposals being considered include a ban on the portrayal of drinking as a challenge, or of it being depicted as brave, daring or implying social, sexual or sporting success; and that advertising should not be linked with violence or high risk activities.
There has been much public concern about the abuse of alcohol by young people. We believe that for many this concern was expressed by Stephen Rowan, Director of the Rutland Centre, in a talk entitled "Alcohol, the Media and Youth" given at an FMA conference in 2001. He referred to the European School Survey Project, a study of the drinking and drug-taking habits of 15- and 16-year-olds in 30 European societies. Ireland fared worst of all. It showed that 32 per cent of both girls and boys engaged in binge drinking.
Mr Rowan said that the consequences of this behaviour were "problems at school, often with under achievement - sometimes total failure; relationship problems; illicit sex; violence, accidents and injuries."
The Minister says he is very worried about what was happening to young people and that we will be storing up huge health problems for the future unless the issue was dealt with. He admits that the proposals being considered by his department are a modest step forward, and that they are "following the model that the State used with tobacco over the past 10 to 15 years when it adopted an incremental approach to changing the culture."
We welcome the Minister's initiative and the proposals being considered for legislation. However, because of the seriousness of the problem, we believe that a more urgent rather than an incremental approach is needed to tackle the problem. - Yours, etc.,
SEAN O'NEILL,
Secretary,
Family and Media Association,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.