Media

Where is the urgency to reduce alcohol harm?   Alcohol Action Ireland publishes its review of progress today (1st December 2022) in alcohol harm reduction during European Alcohol Awareness Week. Annual alcohol use per drinker in Ireland is 235 cans of beer, plus 11 bottles of gin/vodka, plus 39 bottles of wine, plus 35 cans of cider. Unfortunately, such high levels mean that every day four people die in Ireland from alcohol, 1,000 hospital beds are occupied from alcohol related illness... Full Story

70% of mental health professionals receive no training on problem alcohol use in the home despite serious psychological impacts  AAI produces toolkit to help raise awareness launched by Dr Geoffrey Shannon    The majority of mental health professionals in Ireland do not get any training on how to recognise or deal with the issue of parental problem alcohol use (PPAU) in the home, a new study from UCC and Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) has found.  This is despite the fact... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland, the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, notes the announcements of Budget 2023 by Ministers Donohoe and McGrath and welcome that government has not acquiesced to the pressure from alcohol producers to reduce excise duties on alcohol products, which would have enhanced affordability of alcohol. We regret that the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, did not take note of our advice on establishing a CPI link to all alcohol excise duties or a much-needed alcohol harm... Full Story

Stigmatising language such as ‘user’, ‘addict’ and ‘alcoholic’ are outdated and damaging and should no longer be used to describe people who have problems with alcohol and other substances.  To mark International Recovery Month, Alcohol Action Ireland, the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, is today (22 Sept) launching a guide to help media and the public use more compassionate language, and to understand the impact certain words can have on people.  Research has demonstrated that, whether we are aware... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland, the independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, has today (Thursday 8th September) published the findings of an opinion poll, conducted by Ireland Thinks, exploring public support for on-product alcohol labelling interventions. 72% believe consumers have a right to be informed on the product, and in advertising, of the health risk from alcohol use; only 11% oppose such a move. 62% believe alcohol products must display health warnings that clearly identifies the risk to pregnancy, of liver disease... Full Story

Alcohol Market Review 2022 Raising the bar: time to reassess the inflated reputation of the alcohol industry   Alcohol Action Ireland, the independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, has today (Thursday 1st September) published its 2022 Alcohol Market Review. The Review highlights the market revenues - €5.555bn in 2021, demonstrating who benefits and how, only a handful of companies are monopolising the Off-Trade receipts of €2.505bn. Ireland’s alcohol industry – producers, merchants and retailers, spent an estimated €116m last year advertising alcohol... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland, the independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, has today (Thursday 28th July) published its Pre-Budget submission in which it advises the Minister for Finance not to further enhance the affordability of alcohol by reducing excise taxes. Central to its submission, Alcohol Action, advises the Minister on two specific matters: The retention of existing excise duties on alcohol products and introduce a Consumer Price/Inflation Index to alcohol excise rates from 2023. The introduction of Alcohol Harm levies on... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland, the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, note the publication of the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence 2022-2026, and welcome the recognition of children as victims in their own right.  Bearing witness to domestic abuse is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) that can cause problems into adulthood and children must be supported when it occurs in their family.  AAI looks forward to progressing an Operation Encompass style system of support (Implementation Plan,... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland, the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, today (Wednesday, 22 June) welcomes the Irish government’s notification of Draft Regulations under Section 12 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 to the European Commission.   The draft Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2022, as published by the Minister for Health, will enable the commencement of labelling of alcohol products and notices in licensed premises.   These will ensure that no alcohol product can be sold without bearing... Full Story