Alcohol News

New opinion poll shows overwhelming public support for Government action to curb alcohol marketing that appeals to young people   82% of people who support this action are Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil supporters   A new opinion poll commissioned by Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland shows strong support for Government action to curb alcohol marketing that appeals to young people.   The poll, conducted by Ireland Thinks, between 12 and 16th June among a sample of 1,300 adults across the... Full Story

The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill contains a range of measures designed to work cohesively to reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland so lessening alcohol related harms. Implemented together, they will provide a reasonable, pragmatic means to achieving the ambition of this progressive public health initiative. The media industry, as the report outlines, warns that new advertising restrictions proposed in the Bill will 'cost the Irish media sector an estimated €20m a year'. This is again typical of the divisive language that... Full Story

The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 will focus on preventing cancer across Ireland's growing population, aims to diagnose cancer earlier, provide optimal care to patients and maximise the quality of life for who live with cancer.   Commenting on the Strategy, Eunan McKinney, Head of Communications and Advocacy at Alcohol Action Ireland, said: 'At Alcohol Action Ireland, we realise the anguish and loss that having cancer can bring but sadly we are also acutely aware of what role alcohol can contribute... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland today welcomed, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar's renewed commitment to completing passage of the Public Health Alcohol Bill. In his opening speech last evening on the nomination of government, An Taoiseach, established the immediate priorities of his government. In addressing the priorities for Health, he outlined that he had asked Minister Simon Harris, newly re-appointed Minister for Health, to: 'complete passage of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill through the Houses as soon as possible' For over 500 days... Full Story

Alcohol Action Ireland and EuroCare will today (Wednesday) host a policy seminar to discuss the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), currently before the EU institutions, which represents an important opportunity to strengthen measures to protect children from alcohol marketing. https://youtu.be/k8LHNw0xgJY Europe has one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world and since the non-renewal of the EU Alcohol Strategy which expired in 2012, action to reduce alcohol harm has been effectively left to individual member states. The... Full Story

              Alcohol Action Ireland notes the publication of 'An Audit of the exercise by An Garda Sí­ochána of the provisions of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991'. The audit, and published report, was conducted and produced by the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon. It examined 591 cases in 2014 where the Gardaí­ exercised emergency powers under the 1991 Act, to remove a child to a place of safety having... Full Story

A new report highlights how alcohol producers disregard the spirit of the law to circumvent local regulations designed to protect children during the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament. Researchers at the Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, found over 100 alcohol marketing references per televised match programme in three countries – France, the UK and Ireland. Most marketing appeared in highly visible places, such as pitch-side advertising during the matches. This was the case, despite the fact that the... Full Story