Alcohol pricing, availability and sponsorship are set to be the primary targets of a new cross-party Oireachtas group on alcohol misuse that was launched today.
The initiative will be overseen by Alcohol Action Ireland and comprises membership from Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fail, Sinn Féin and Independents.
The primary focus of the group will be in influencing the forthcoming Public Health Alcohol Bill which seeks to place greater regulation on the sale and marketing of alcohol.
Chairman of the group, Labour TD Jed Nash, said that alcohol-related harm costs the state €3.7 billion a year, with the health system alone spending €1 billion on alcohol-related care.
“Our agenda is about seeking out quality and balanced information about alcohol harm and using that in our roles on formal committees, in our own political parties and as individual politicians to influence better outcomes,” said Nash.
Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone is also a member of the cross-party group and says that Ireland were “world leaders when it came to creating laws around tobacco” and wants the same to be the case with alcohol:
"Physical separation of alcohol in supermarkets and grocery shops, banning alcohol sponsorship in arts and sports, further restrictions on alcohol advertising, a minimum pricing policy, and a change in legislation around packaging of alcohol are, in my opinion, all necessary measures."
Source: Rónán Duffy, thejournal.ie, 04/03/14
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