Alcohol Action Ireland, the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, notes the Revenue’s provisional alcohol duty clearances and receipts for Q1 2021, which indicates an 18.7% reduction in overall alcohol use for the first quarter of 2021 viz that of 2020.
This reduction in alcohol use by the whole of population, calculated by the clearance of total volume of pure alcohol, may demonstrate that as a population, we have begun to reassess our abnormal and risky drinking levels at home, so evident throughout 2020 and shown in the sustained sales surge throughout the retail environment.
Throughout the COVID crisis Alcohol Action Ireland have consistently sought to highlight the increased Harm to Others, especially children, from such a surge in home drinking. We have urged people to be aware of the increased risk to their health and wellbeing as temporary lifestyles of home drinking can quickly become permanent habits.
The Revenue returns for the second quarter of 2021 will be closely examined to evaluate the efficacy of this approach.
