Happy hours are here again, so a new crackdown looms.

It's happy hour again: publicans are using two-for-one promotions and all-you-can-drink deals to get punters back into pubs and nightclubs.

A ban on the happy hour was introduced in 2003 to stop excessive consumption of alcohol over a short period. The law means that pubs and nightclubs are prohibited from selling alcohol cheaper than that charged in the day. But there is nothing in the legislation to stop drinks promotions lasting the entire night.

Now more and more publicans are offering two-for-the-price-of-one deals, €3-a-pint promotions and all-you-can-drink deals for the evening instead of for an hour.

Such promotions used to be targeted at young student drinkers, but the recession has prompted clubs and pubs to extend cheap drinks offers to older customers, an increasing number of whom are buying from off-licences.

The trend has prompted demands for the Department of Justice to introduce more restrictions. Dermot Ahern, minister for justice, has the power under an act passed last year to stop publicans from selling alcohol products at a reduced price or for free. The powers, included in the Intoxicating Liquor Act, have been notified to the European Commission, which has not objected. "As no comments have been received, it is now intended to proceed with the process of finalising the text of the regulations," Ahern has told the Dail.

This could mean the end of two-for-one offers, loyalty cards in bars and drink promotions. A Department of Justice spokesman said last week: "The act is fairly new so it's still under review. We haven't introduced the new proposals yet but the option to do so is there."

Professor Joe Barry, a specialist in public health medicine, criticised some of the promotions. "Cheap drinks all night is a disgrace. Emergency departments are already under huge pressure from alcohol-related incidents and I've no doubt this will increase that," Barry said.

"People get too drunk and they fight and some die. Heavy drinking can affect the liver and there's also the public-order issues, the messing that goes on in emergency departments, people getting sick and fighting. It's a disgrace the way Irish youngsters are going about these days."

Barry wants the introduction of a minimum price structure for all alcohol and has called on the government to make a proper commitment to alcohol regulation.

But publicans insist they have been forced to use promotions and deals to lure back lost custom. In The Vaults near Dublin's docklands, customers get a free drink with every drink purchased every day except Saturday. Michael Martin, the general manager, said that margins were tight and something had to be done to bring business to the pub. He said the offer was not leading to binge drinking.

"People who get greedy will get drunk quickly, but we're not really seeing that. People are coming in after work, still drinking only five to six drinks. It's just that the drinks are cheaper," said Martin.

The promotions are not just a Dublin phenomenon. The Forum in Monaghan, one of Ireland's largest nightclubs, is offering cheap shots and beer specials. Amber nightclub in Dundalk is offering all drinks for €2 on Thursday nights.

Dicey's on Dublin's Harcourt Street offers €3 drinks on Thursday nights to attract the after-work crowd, and the Odeon is targeting a similar clientele with €4 drinks all day during "Smile Friday".

Club M in Temple Bar runs an industry night on Mondays with all drinks just €3.

Sin nightclub in Temple Bar offer customers a €50 "all you can drink" package on Friday and Saturday nights. The offer doesn't include shots or champagne but Ciaran Gray, general manager of Sin nightclub, said the night was very popular and sold out most Saturday nights.

"Since 2008, nightclubs have really had to diversify to get customers. The happy-hour legislation means you can't have cheap drinks for a short period of time but there's nothing to stop people from advertising cheap drinks all night," Gray said. "Everyone is forced to pull these gimmicks -- nightclubs really have to do something special to attract people in."

The Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI) is in favour of banning such deals. Pardraig Cribben, its chief executive, said: "The VFI has called for these kind of volume-led promotions, which are prevalent in supermarkets in particular, to be banned as they can lead to social disorder and we would urge the minister to implement this legislation as soon as possible."

Source: Claire Hartnett, The Sunday Times, 23/08/2009,