Expressing concern at the rising levels of alcohol use and abuse and the resulting harmful effects on the health of the nation, the country’s largest postgraduate medical training body has called on the Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan to implement measures aimed at reducing the availability of the substance.

With 88% of public order offences related to alcohol, 34% of marital breakdowns citing alcohol as the main cause of breakdown, 38% of road deaths being alcohol related and one in every eight patients attending A&E as a result of an alcohol related injury, the time to take major action has long since passed. It is important to remember that alcohol is also a major cause of liver disease, cirrhosis, serious injury and death.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Faculty of Public Health Medicine is concerned about the degree of alcohol related illness and death, and believes that urgent concerted legislative action is needed. The College has expressed concern at the increase in the number of retail outlets selling alcohol and are alarmed at the manner and conditions of sale in such outlets, including below cost selling and special promotions.

In its submission the College has made a number of significant recommendations, which include;

- A reduction in the number of outlets selling alcohol.

- A publicly accessible and categorised register of all premises holding off-licences.

- A ban on the sale of alcohol at petrol stations and other casual locations.

- Confining alcohol products in supermarkets and convenience stores to a certain portion of the store with stricter opening hours.

- A ban on alcohol promotions in supermarkets, clubs and pubs.

- A ban on the prominent placement of alcohol products and advertisements at the entrance of supermarkets.

- A new licence, which is proportionate to the volume of sales for all supermarkets and convenience stores.

- The ultimate phasing out of the sale of alcohol at supermarkets and convenience stores over the medium term.

- A public health minimum pricing order on alcohol products, similar to tobacco.

- A reduction in the number of bar extensions or special exemptions offered to each on-licence holder in any given year.

- Helping An Garda Siochana tackle underage drinking with the introduction of a traceability mechanism to identify the source of all bottled beverages.

- Strengthening the responsible serving of alcohol in the off-trade sector

- Increased enforcement of regulations regarding the sale of alcohol to those under 18.

- Increased enforcement of public order offences related to alcohol.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Faculty of Public Health Medicine believe the measures above are long overdue and we commend the Justice Minister Brian Lenihan TD for establishing this Advisory Group. The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland encourages the Minister to take urgent action to reduce the sale of alcohol and thus its related harm.

ENDS

For further information please contact;

Paul McAuliffe, Communications Manager

Direct : 01 8639765
Mobile : 087 682 1046
Main Ph: 01 8639700
paulmcauliffe@rcpi.ie
www.rcpi.ie


Notes for Editor

The mission of The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) is to develop and maintain high professional standards in specialist medical practice in order to achieve optimum patient care and to promote health nationally and internationally. Through its Faculties and Committees, RCPI has responsibility for the postgraduate education and training of doctors in Ireland in twenty-five medical specialties.

RCPI is fully committed to playing a full and proactive part in the transformation of the health service, as evidenced by its involvement in many strategic initiatives with the Medical Council, the Health Services Executive, the Department of Health and Children, and other Irish postgraduate medical training bodies.

SUBMISSION FROM THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF IRELAND, FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICINE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND LAW REFORM ADVISORY GROUP ON ALCOHOL

Introduction

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Faculty of Public Health Medicine welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Advisory Group on Alcohol and commends the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for initiating this process and for his public comments in relation to the need for legislation.  Like many public bodies in Ireland the Faculty is concerned about the degree of alcohol related harm and believes that concerted legislative action is needed from the perspective of both public order and public health.   In this submission   The Faculty concentrate on specific public order measures, although there is clearly a benefit for public health in the measures being advocated.  

The terms of reference of the Advisory Group on Alcohol

Three areas of concern have been identified:

1          The increase in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores with off-licences (mixed trading premises) and the manner and conditions of sale in such outlets, including below unit-cost selling and special promotions;

2          The increase in the number of licensed premises availing of special exemption orders which permit longer opening hours; and

3          The use, adequacy and effectiveness of existing sanctions and penalties, particularly those directed towards combating excessive and under-age alcohol consumption.

Area of concern 1 – the increase in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores with off-licences (mixed trading premises) and the manner and conditions of sale in such outlets, including below unit-cost selling and special promotions

There is a link between availability of alcohol and consumption patterns and one of the key conclusions of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol Report was that alcohol availability should be limited.  However in recent years the reverse has occurred, availability of alcohol has significantly increased with a consequential increase in consumption and this has to be tackled as a matter of urgency.   It is the view of the Faculty that there needs to be a publicly accessible register of all premises holding licences for the off-purchase of alcohol;, categorised by specialised off-license, supermarket, convenience store, petrol station and other.   Over the last 5 years the proportion of alcohol consumed in Ireland from the off-licence sector has increased from 50% to 70%.   We believe that, with immediate effect, alcohol should not be sold in petrol stations or in any other casual locations.   In relation to supermarkets and convenience stores, we believe there has been slippage in the spirit of the granting of off-licences. With immediate effect alcohol products in supermarkets and convenience stores should be confined to a certain portion of the store and shorter opening hours for that portion of the store should be in place.   Alcohol promotions and placement in front of store should not be permitted.   The licence fee  should be  proportional to the volume of sales for all supermarkets and convenience stores. Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity in the medium term alcohol sales from these outlets should be phased out.

Special promotions by supermarkets should not be permitted as we believe such promotions have been responsible for much of the harmful increase in consumption of alcohol .

The Advisory Group’s terms of reference make reference to below unit cost selling.   We believe that legislation should be drafted in relation to minimum pricing of alcohol, although we believe this should more appropriately be led by the Department of Health & Children rather than the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Area of concern 2 - the increase in the number of licensed premises availing of special exemption orders which permit longer opening hours

There has been a dramatic increase in the granting of special exemptions.   The conditions under which special exemptions are given need to be tightened and appropriate sanctions put in place if public order offences occur that can be attributed to such special exemptions.   There should be a limit on the number of special exemptions offered to each licence holder in any given year.

Area of concern 3 - the use, adequacy and effectiveness of existing sanctions and penalties, particularly those directed towards combating excessive and under-age alcohol consumption.

The terms of reference make specific reference to underage alcohol consumption and excessive drinking. Clearly the current sanctions and penalties are not effective at present. It is impossible to trace the source of the alcohol that has been consumed in public giving rise to excessive and intimidating drinking patterns and also underage consumption.   The Faculty recommends that a traceability mechanism be put in place whereby the source of all bottled beverages can be ascertained.   This will be of assistance to Gardai.   It may not be necessary to put sanctions in place but the fact that alcohol giving rise to public order offences can be traced back to named off-licences would act as a deterrent to irresponsible serving.   The responsible serving of alcohol needs to be strengthened in the off-trade sector and we recommend that this become mandatory. We also recommend stricter enforcement of legislation and penalties regarding the sale of alcohol to those under 18.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Faculty of Public Health Medicine believe the measures above are long overdue and we again commend the Minister for this initiative.