When it comes to the demon drink, Irish consumers have never had it so cheap. Whether this should be celebrated or curtailed will be at issue later this month when a national strategy on substance misuse is published after two years of wrangling.
In one corner will be health professionals, charities dealing with the consequences of Ireland’s problematic relationship with drink, and Government Ministers, particularly Minister of State with responsibility for Primary Care, Róisín Shortall. In the other will be the retail giants who use cheap booze to help coax shoppers through their doors and a multibillion-euro drinks industry that advocates responsible drinking while profiting handsomely from the more irresponsible kind.
Shortall believes Irish drinkers “lost the run of themselves” during the boom. Drinking of alcohol is costing more than €3.5 billion a year once chronic diseases, injury and other societal ills are taken into account, she says.
Source: Conor Pope, Irish Times,18/01/2012
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