"Truly Shameful" Government Bow To Alcohol Industry'

national | public consultation / irish social forum | other press Monday February 26, 2007 08:02 by J. P. Anderson - private greagues2 at yahoo dot co dot uk

Ireland continues to have some of the highest rates of underage drinkers in Europe

Public health expert Dr Joe Barry said that the "truly shameful" government continues to bow to the alcohol industry in response to their lobby of govermnent.

'Empty Young Lives Void Filled By Alcohol'

“Truly Shameful” As
‘Government Bow To Alcohol Industry’
New committee will tackle alcohol abuse
Wednesday, 15 June 2005 20:46
The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Sean Power, has said alcohol abuse is the biggest problem facing the Government and the country.
He told the Dáil that everyone has been far too tolerant of the problem up until now.
Mr Power said the Department of Health is to set up a committee, which will include members of the drinks industry.
The committee will help implement the recommendations outlined in the report compiled by the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol.
Mr Power was speaking on the Fine Gael motion opposing café bars.

Dept seeking to tackle teen binge drinking
Sunday, 25 February 2007 20:36
The Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan has announced his office is to consult with teenagers on the misuse of alcohol.
Between 200 and 300 teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, will be asked why they drink, how they were introduced to alcohol and how they view excessive drinking.
The initiative comes in the wake of a recent survey that found Irish teenagers are among the biggest binge drinkers in Europe.
Mr Lenihan said he believes teenagers themselves could provide solutions to tackling binge drinking.
Responding to the announcement, a spokesperson for Youth Work Ireland described the initiative as an unnecessary diversion.
Michael Mc Loughlin said the Government needs to fully implement the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol which sets out a clear route on price, promotion and availability.

Ireland tops EU alcohol spending
Thursday, 1 June 2006 22:40
A report carried out by the European Commission has said a higher proportion of income in Ireland is spent on alcohol than in any other European Union country.
The report, published this morning, also states that Irish people are the biggest binge drinkers in the EU.
Alcohol Action Ireland said that the report showed that alcohol consumption needed to be addressed urgently.
The survey shows that we are spending three times more than any other country and ten times more than Greece.
Young Irish people also top their table for binge drinking. The report shows 32% of 15 and 16-year-olds had binge drunk three or more times in the month.
The Netherlands is second on that table with 28%.
Household alcohol spending is three times more than any European household. We spend on average €1,675 on alcohol - followed by Denmark which spends €531.
The report shows that alcohol is a key cause of harm to people other than the drinker, including some 60,000 underweight births throughout Europe, 10,000 'innocent' deaths that occur to bystanders or passengers from drink drivers and up to 2,000 murders that occur each year.
The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland has strongly criticised the report, saying much of the findings were based on outdated information.
The DIGI also said that the fact that Ireland has the highest levels of tax on alcohol of any EU country partly explained the high spending levels.
A spokesman said the report was another attempt by the 'anti-alcohol lobby to demonise the alcohol industry and to pressure policy makers into introducing draconian measures to tackle a serious but limited problem'.

IMO attacks Govt's alcohol initiative
Thursday, 15 December 2005 22:41
The Irish Medical Organisation has accused the Government of putting the interests of the drinks industry ahead of children's health.
The comments come after the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, launched a new voluntary code of conduct on alcohol advertising.
The minister said if the code, which aims to reduce the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising, does not work, she will introduce legalisation.
However, the IMO has said the Government has ignored reports calling on a complete ban on alcohol advertising.
The minister said the codes were a practical and workable solution for reducing the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising.
The initiative involves a new Alcohol Marketing Monitoring Body to oversee codes in relation to the exposure of alcohol for young people.
The initiative was developed with the advertising industry, the drinks industry, the Department of Health and the independent broadcasters of Ireland.
However, the initiative comes amid criticism from the IMO and a prominent public health specialist of the Government's record on alcohol policy.
The organisation, which represents over 5,000 doctors, claimed today that Ms Harney and her department had ignored the evidence and advice that further legislation is the best way to protect children from the effects of alcohol advertising.
The IMO said that despite the Department of Health's own reports, as well as recommendations from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, it had 'actively courted the alcohol and advertising industries to subvert these recommendations'.
The IMO also said that around 150,000 children in Ireland under the age of 18 are regular drinkers.
Dr Joe Barry, a public health specialist, described the initiative launched today by Ms Harney and The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland as a 'truly shameful episode in the history of the department'.
Dr Barry claimed that where the interests of the alcohol industry collide with the health and well being of the public, the Government can be relied upon to bow to industry pressure and lobbying.
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