The Alcohol Health Alliance is a new initiative to support the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, a ground breaking piece of public health legislation that has the potential to save lives and to significantly reduce the harm caused by alcohol consumption in Ireland.

The Alcohol Health Alliance was established in March 2015 by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and Alcohol Action Ireland and is chaired by Prof Frank Murray, former RCPI President and a liver specialist at Beaumont Hospital. This Alliance brings together a wide range of public health campaigners including medical professionals, NGO’s and charities whose mission is to reduce the damage caused to health by alcohol misuse. The Alliance has over 50 members.

Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland provides a shared voice and a shared opportunity for all its members in a way that allows us to do more together than our constituent organisations could achieve by acting in isolation. The Alliance is guided by World Health Organisation recommendations that “the alcohol industry has no role in the formulation of alcohol policies, which must be protected from distortion by commercial or vested interests”.

 

Objectives:

AHA Ireland will work together to:

  • Campaign for the implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, 2018
  • Highlight the rising levels of alcohol-related health harm
  • Support evidence-based solutions to reduce this harm
  • Advocate for positive action to address the damage caused by alcohol misuse

 

How the AHA (Ireland) works:

The AHA is guided by a steering group who makes decisions regarding the activities of the alliance. The steering group is comprised of; the RCPI, Alcohol Action Ireland, The Irish Cancer Society, The Irish Heart Foundation, National Youth Council of Ireland.

AHA Ireland membership comprises of individual members of the public, public health campaigners including medical professionals, NGO’s and charities who:

  • Are committed to the implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018
  • Are committed to tackling the health harms of alcohol
  • Are committed to working in constructive partnership with other organisations who share this goal
  • Are committed to highlighting the rising levels of alcohol-related health harm, proposing evidence-based solutions to reduce this harm, and influencing decision makers to take positive action to address the damage caused by alcohol misuse
  • Will declare that you do not receive any direct or indirect funding from the alcohol industry.

 

Contact details:

If you would like some further information, or your organisation have interest in being involved, please send us the names and email addresses of the following contacts:

  • The senior decision maker for alcohol health issues (e.g. the signatory for joint letters for newspapers etc.)
  • Your relevant contact in communications and public affairs.

 

Alcohol Health Alliance contact:

Eunan McKinney, Alcohol Action Ireland, and Email: eunan@alcoholactionireland.ie Tel: 01-8780610.