Ireland to act on alcohol abuse

The liberalisation of alcohol laws has been a dangerous failure in Ireland.

This is the strong message behind the Irish Government's swift moves to curb alcohol abuse. Measures which, it is hoped, will pass through the Dail and the Senate in six weeks, include a ban on serving people who are already drunk and making it illegal for under-18s being in pubs after 8.00 p.m.

The Bill introduced by the Minister of Justice will also make licensees responsible for the conduct of drinkers on their premises, ban "happy hour" and "drink as much as you can" promotions, allow the covert monitoring of bars by police, the restriction of opening hours on Thursdays, and allow for the temporary closure of bars which violate regulations.

Between 1989 and 1999 consumption of alcohol in Ireland increased by a staggering 41 per cent, bringing the country to the top of the European league. In the last thirty years consumption has tripled. Ireland also has the unenviable distinction of leading Europe in the amount of 15 and 16-year old binge drinking whilst at the same time being the only country where girls now equal boys as far as this particular phenomenon.

The proposed measures in Ireland stand in contrast to those taken by the British Government which, in its new Licensing Bill, is intent on liberalising the law. The liberalisation of licensing law in Ireland some time ago has been a major contributor to the problems its Government are now seeking urgently to remedy.

The influential Irish Times says in an editorial: "The consequences of excessive drinking are visible late at night on the streets of our cities, towns and villages. They are reflected in crowded accident and emergency wards in hospitals and, all too frequently, victims of alcohol-related violence end up on mortuary slabs.

"The rise in alcohol consumption was facilitated by longer pub opening hours, introduced some years ago, and it has been reinforced by extensive advertising and promotional campaigns."

Michael Martin, the Irish Minister of Health, is promoting a new Bill set to impose strict limitations on alcohol advertising. Mr Martin intends to restrict where such advertisements can be exhibited, forbid sponsorship of children's and adolescent's leisure activities by the drinks industry, stop advertising campaigns designed to appeal to under age drinkers, and impose a "watershed" on television, cinema and radio advertising in order to minimise the exposure of children to the alcoholic products. No alcohol advertising would be allowed near schools or on public transport.

In this context, the Minister attacked the sponsorship deal between the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Guinness: "I believe Guinness supporting All-Ireland hurling is the wrong message to be sending out to the young people of this country. Alcohol should not be associated with sporting success."

Stephen Rowen, the Director of the Rutland Centre, a leading agency in Ireland for residential treatment of addiction, discussing what needs to be done to tackle the chronic problem of alcohol abuse, says, "Rolling back the pub opening hours to where they were before the summer of 2000 would help...

"The hospitality industry has benefited greatly from the prosperity of the past decade. Irish people should be justifiably proud of the successes in recent years in successfully competing for the excellence of the products of our thriving economy. But there is a dark side to our prosperityThat dark side must be carefully examined in the contest of too much suffering for Irish people caused by drink."