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Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Cross-party TDs at least agree on one thing, the need to tackle alcohol abuse

The four main political parties were joined by Alcohol Action Ireland and Alastair Campbell to launch a new informal Oireachtas group on the issue.

ALCOHOL PRICING, AVAILABILITY and sponsorship are set to be the primary targets of a new cross-party Oireachtas group on alcohol misuse that was launched today.

The initiative will be overseen by Alcohol Action Ireland and comprises membership from Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fail, Sinn Féin and Independents.

The primary focus of the group will be in influencing the forthcoming Public Health Alcohol Bill which seeks to place greater regulation on the sale and marketing of alcohol.

Chairman of the group, Labour TD Jed Nash, said that alcohol-related harm costs the state €3.7 billion a year, with the health system alone spending €1 billion on alcohol-related care.

“Our agenda is about seeking out quality and balanced information about alcohol harm and using that in our roles on formal committees, in our own political parties and as individual politicians to influence better outcomes,” said Nash.

Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone is also a member of the cross-party group and says that Ireland were “world leaders when it came to creating laws around tobacco” and wants the same to be the case with alcohol:

Physical separation of alcohol in supermarkets and grocery shops, banning alcohol sponsorship in arts and sports, further restrictions on alcohol advertising, a minimum pricing policy, and a change in legislation around packaging of alcohol are, in my opinion, all necessary measures.

British Labour Party adviser Alastair Campbell was also present to mark the launch of the parliamentary group and ahead of the meeting said that the Irish Government must not be swayed in its efforts by “vested, corporate interests”.

In the UK, public policy around alcohol misuse is being heavily influenced by the sophisticated and well-resourced alcohol lobby rather than being directed in the interest of public health. This is evident from David Cameron’s U-turn on minimum pricing last year following pressure from both his Cabinet and the alcohol lobby.

Today’s launch of the cross-party group also heard contributions from paramedic Richard Shannon and nurse Anne Burke about the pressure alcohol abuse puts on the health service.

The CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland Suzanne Costello says that they will help the group in “whatever way they can” adding that the Public Health Alcohol Bill is “an unprecedented opportunity to begin to address our harmful relationship with alcohol”.

Read: Another rise in consumer prices. The main drivers? College fees & alcohol >

Read: 860 fewer people would be killed by alcohol every year if minimum pricing was introduced >

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53 Comments
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    Mute Seth Cheffetz
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 7:51 AM

    Or maybe parents get excited to make their kids so happy and share something special with them…

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    Mute Carina Clarke
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 9:02 AM

    I’m doomed so. I wonder which is causing more damage. The Santa myth, or the ‘we have no internet because the router is broke myth’. At the minute my 11year old is saying “he can’t live like this” and I’m saying neither can I “tidy your room up”.

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    Mute Billy Larkin
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 2:54 PM

    Unashamedly so.

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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 8:03 AM

    Feck sake, what a load of tripe! Parents home with kids, prezzies, family, bit of craic and its analysised to death. Did Scrooge fund that research?

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    Mute A H
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 8:39 AM

    It’s funny you mention Scrooge, as Dickens has a whole novel written about not letting children play or use their imagination, “Hard Times”. Did it at school and it depressed me. “NEVER Wonder” is what the father used to tell his kids. I guess those researchers are fans of his.

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    Mute A H
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 8:03 AM

    Jesus H. This is depressing. We were all told lies to make our childhood more magical and fun. We have years ahead of mundane responsibility and the drudgery of everyday normal experience. I am not a serial killer because me ma told me there was a santy and I don’t have major trust issues because I was “lied” to. I would worry about the children of these psychologists and feel sorry for them. Anyone who has half a braun knows that without imagination and play, your children can become damaged.

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    Mute A H
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 8:04 AM

    *brain

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    Mute Lily
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 8:49 AM

    I couldn’t sleep with excitement on Xmas eve. I love to see the kids all happy and crazy with excitement. Once they questioned if Santa was real or not I told them the truth.

    I never believed in Santa as a kid. So I never experienced the magic. I gave that magic to my kids for 7 years before each got wise and questioned Santas existence.

    I did get to relive a bit of my childhood, I played barbies with my daughter (I never owned a barbie as a kid). I got to play cars, darts and shoot nurf guns with my boys. Much fun is had on Xmas day getting down on the floor and playing with my kids. It’s what parenthood is about, sharing the fun with your children. It’s the best feeling ever. Christmas is just an excuse to go crazy all at once.

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    Mute Jesper
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 7:59 AM

    Yes it would be far more beneficial to this corporate world if we eradicate all imagination and sense of wonder from as early an age as possible. People need to wake up and live.

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 11:09 AM

    Christmas growing up was a magical time for us, my dad used to make it a wonderful time. We would go to bed on Christmas Eve with no tree or decorations only to wake up Christmas morning and the sitting room would be like a winter wonderland, tree, decorations and sooty footprints. But it wasn’t just for us kids it was more for my mum who never had an enjoyable Christmas growing up, he loved her deeply and would go all out just to make it memorable for her. I miss them both deeply.

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    Mute Kieran OKeeffe
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 12:46 PM

    @molly coddled:
    Lovely memories Molly..thanks for sharing..anyone else miss the time when Christmas started in December?..before the proliferation of discount shops..and endless ads..

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    Mute Maurice Bourke
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 8:39 AM

    People wanting to ‘ignore the harshness of real life’ is nothing new. It’s the reason the lottery exists and thrives but I think people put Christmas on for kids rather than this.

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 11:19 AM

    The moral of the story is: life is shit, so you may as well depress your kids now as it will save time later.

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    Mute Barbara Atkinson
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    Dec 23rd 2016, 12:45 PM

    ‘May’ ‘may’ ‘may’ . be weird if parents did not get excited!

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    Mute Cian Foley
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    Dec 24th 2016, 1:56 AM

    i wrote a song for us parents about how having kids brings the magic back… check out the vid here if you have a spare couple of mins… https://youtu.be/t-r9u1esunQ

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