Alcohol-free sporting facilities should be provided for young people where they can go at night and engage in sports activities of their choice, while alcohol sponsorship of sport should be phased out in as short a time as possible, a new report by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Sport, Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs has recommended.
The report Combating Underage Alcohol Abuse Through Sport examined the role sport can play in offering an alternative to underage drinking. While the report recognises that sport is not in itself the panacea for combating underage alcohol abuse, it says that sport can contribute positively to providing a solution to the problem and makes a number of recommendations.
These include:
- Obtain the support and involvement of young people and those most at risk for initiatives aimed at tackling underage drinking.
- Encourage the network of Local Sports Partnerships to engage with young people, schools and sporting organisations on a local level in promoting alcohol-free policies for local clubs and organisations.
- Provide alcohol-free sporting facilities for young people where they can go at night and engage in sports activities of their choice. Consult with them on what these facilities should provide and involve them in their management. Provide these in every community at an affordable price.
- Develop the Physical Education syllabus and sporting activities within schools, to encourage physical activity amongst young people. Increase the number of qualified Physical Education teachers and ensure that all students receive a minimum of 2 hours physical education per week as recommended by the syllabus.
Provide Exchequer and Lottery funding for alcohol-free sports within defined criteria. - Examine the feasibility of phasing out, in as short a time as possible, alcohol sponsorship of sport.
Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Deputy Tom Kitt said: “As a society, we must utilise every opportunity to take advantage of the positive impact of sporting activities to offer an alternative to underage drinking. While we accept that sport on its own is not the complete answer to this problem, this Committee is of the firm belief that it can contribute positively to the solution.”
Source: Clare Herlad, 06/10/10
Journalist: Stephen Davis
