Ministers Fitzgerald, Reilly and White announce Measures to Deal with Alcohol Misuse

Minimum Unit Pricing and Regulation of Advertising and Sponsorship to be provided for in a Public Health Bill.

The Minister of State for Primary Care, Alex White TD, announced that the Government had, at its Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (22nd October), approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse, to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.

Minister White said, “this is a landmark day. It is the first time alcohol misuse has been addressed as a public health issue. The Government has recognised the severe consequences of the misuse of alcohol – including deaths, injuries and social and financial problems – and has determined to take action to address this problem. The package of measures to be implemented is the result of intensive discussions across Government departments, and will include provision for minimum unit pricing for alcohol products and the regulation of advertising and marketing of alcohol.”

Continuing, Minister White said, “to implement this range of measures, the Government approved the drafting of the first ever piece of public health legislation to address the problem – the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.” The package of measures is based on the 2012 Substance Misuse Report. “The Report correctly identified that the misuse of alcohol could only be addressed through a range of complementary measures, rather than through any one single initiative”, said the Minister.

Welcoming the Government decision Minister for Health Dr James Reilly said, “alcohol misuse in Ireland is a serious problem with two thousand of our hospital beds occupied each night by people with alcohol related illness or injury. This impacts on families and individuals at every level of society. It’s deeply worrying too that young people are starting to drink earlier and to drink more. The average Irish person over the age of 15 is consuming the equivalent of a bottle of vodka a week. The Government is committed to tackling these problems and this week’s decision marks a significant further step in that direction to create an environment where responsible consumption of alcohol is the norm.”

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Source: merrion street, 24/0/13