Podcast: Alcohol in sport
July 1, 2024
One of the most prominent areas of alcohol advertising is in the sports sector, which seems contradictory to the health and fitness associated with sport.
Tobacco has been distanced from sport for a very long time but today we hear why alcohol isn’t given the same treatment, despite being a harmful substance. We hear from a sports star who believes alcohol has no relation to the work he and his team do as athletes, and about the vested interests that makes legislation and monitoring of alcohol advertising so tricky.
Our expert guests are Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, Dr. Robin Ireland, and Mayo footballer Pádraig O’Hora who also works with young people in the community.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
● How watching sport exposes young people to alcohol
● Alcohol sponsorships and advertising with prolific sports people
● The contradictory message between alcohol and health and fitness
● Why marketing 0.0 products is still as harmful
● Problematic symptoms of alcohol even aside from addiction
GUEST DETAILS
Padraig O’Hora is a Mayo Footballer & Mental Health & Neurodivergent Advocate well known for his advocacy in the mental health arena. Padraig regularly delivers talks that delve into the areas of mental health, in particular resilience.
https://www.instagram.com/padraigohora_1993/
Dr. Robin Ireland has worked in public health since 1984, including being employed by Princes Park Health Centre in Liverpool 8 and Mersey Regional Health Authority amongst others. He is the former Chief Executive of the Health Equalities Group (HEG) charity based in Liverpool. Ireland established the organisation in 2002, followed by Healthy Stadia in 2004 and Food Active in 2013, both part of HEG, and is now an Honorary Director of Research with the charity. He was awarded his PhD by the University of Glasgow in 2021. His thesis was on the Commercial Determinants of Health in Sport.
https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/healthwellbeing/staff/robinireland/#biography
MORE INFORMATION
Read our submission regarding Ireland’s online safety code.
https://alcoholireland.ie/our-work/policy/alcohol-marketing-protecting-children/
If you are looking for support visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/