We have seen the line between what’s right and wrong, what’s good and bad.
If you, the Government, go the wrong side of the line, we will know you are wrong and bad.
Because there is no moral argument against ending the sponsorship of sports and cultural events by drinks companies. That’s what the steering group on the national substance misuse strategy recommends. That’s what junior minister Roisin Shortall says she wants — but not until 2016.
Under pressure, particularly from a trio of ministers — Jimmy Deenihan, Simon Coveney, and Leo Varadkar — she has backed down on the timeline. She has "extended out" the date for compliance with the proposed Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, because she wants to be "reasonable".
"Extended out" beyond the latest possible date for the next general election; "extended out" beyond that ringing centenary year, 2016, when we will be back in the markets and "the best small country in the world in which to do business".
I am not "reasonable". I want the ban on sponsorship of culture and sports events by drinks companies now. That’s why I couldn’t be a politician. If we can’t expect festivals and events to find new sponsors overnight, we can expect them to do so within four years.
If they can’t, tough, because sponsorship by alcohol companies is money stained with death; stained with "suicides" caused by steady alcohol poisoning; stained with the inconsolable grief of partners, parents, children, friends, all of whom are consequently exposed to a hugely increased risk of dying the same death.
Stained with the blood of the victims in a third of fatal car crashes; with the horror of half of the women who are sexually assaulted; with the distress of one in four sitting in emergency departments. Stained with the torture of a third of women abused by their partners; with the inextinguishable grief of the family and friends of half of murder victims; stained with the suffering of those involved in so much street violence.
Every seven hours in Ireland, someone dies because of drink. Their families grieve; some of them drink. The cycle begins again. Have you traced a family tree in Ireland? We did. Can’t get past the first stump, because we don’t have a clue what happened to one of us. He vanished. The only explanation of contemporaries was drink. "Sure, he drank." And so did he, and him, and him. That’s most of the branches lopped off at the trunk.
We don’t know anything about the women’s drinking. Maybe they did and maybe they didn’t. They were victims of alcohol abuse, either way.
Source: Victoria White, Irish Examiner, 19/07/12
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