Alcohol is not a woman’s best bubbly friend, it is her biggest frenemy, says Suzanne Harrington.

Women who drink alcohol between puberty and their first pregnancy are putting themselves at a greater risk of breast cancer, a public health expert has warned.

A leading liver expert has called for a ban on supermarket meal deals that include heavily discounted wine, as medics prepare for a surge in the number of women suffering alcohol- related diseases.

Alcohol Action Ireland has called on the Government to prioritise the health of children and not to pass the alcohol industry’s self-regulatory codes into law.

Rather than turning a blind eye, parents need to give a clear message about the dangers of underage drinking, a child and adolescent psychiatrist tells Helen O’Callaghan.

The new laws setting out a minimum price for alcohol have been broadly welcomed both by campaigners and drinks industry groups.

Alcoholic drinks will carry calorie counts, health warnings, and a minimum price floor under a wide-ranging Government bid to combat abuse.

The Government should resist pressure from the drinks industry to cut taxes on alcohol in the forthcoming budget, a campaign group has said.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar will take up direct responsibility for the sensitive areas of drug and alcohol policy.

Guinness bosses have axed Arthur’s Day — but insist the move has nothing to do with widespread criticism of the event.

Ireland has one of the highest death rates from alcohol in the world, as well as the second highest rate of binge-drinking, according to the World Health Organisation.

Minimum alcohol pricing would reduce drink-fuelled crime in Ireland and save a life every day, an addiction expert has claimed.

The impact alcohol has on crime will be discussed this afternoon, as the Oireachtas committee on Justice meet to examine minimum pricing of drink.

More than one in four people in Ireland have been harmed because of someone else’s drinking. A report by the HSE found that 28% of people have experienced at least one or more of the negative consequences of someone’s else’s drinking.

Search ‘neknomination’ or ‘necknomination’ (spelling can vary) on Twitter, Vine, Facebook, or YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos of young people speed-drinking vast quantities of alcohol in response to a dare from friends.

More than half of the Irish population drinks in a high-risk manner, according to Alcohol Action Ireland.

Let me reassure Patrick O’Sullivan (Letters, Sept 5) that the enormous human cost of alcohol abuse is the key driver for Alcohol Action Ireland.

One-in-six calls to the Samaritans are recession-related, it has emerged.

The Minister for Mental Health says the guidelines for reporting on suicide need to be strengthened.

Middle-aged men from disadvantaged backgrounds are 10 times more likely to die by suicide because they have lost their masculine pride and identity, a study found.

Middle-aged men from disadvantaged backgrounds are 10 times more likely to die by suicide because they have lost their masculine pride and identity, a study found.

Calls to the Samaritans are expected to be free of charge from next year onwards after the charity concluded an agreement with Ireland's six largest telecoms companies.

MONEY, job and mortgage worries continue to preoccupy the nation, with almost seven in 10 Irish people saying they are afraid they will not be able to live comfortably in 2012, according to a survey by the Samaritans.

More than two-thirds of the population are afraid they will not have enough money to live comfortably next year, new figures have shown.

CHARITIES have declared the past year one of their toughest ever, as they faced record demand for services while public donations came under severe strain.

CALLS to vital support group the Samaritans have reached record levels, with the group’s life-saving helpline receiving calls every two minutes this year.

NOEL BAKER gives a very comprehensive account of the press release of the Samaritans (Dec 16).

ONE in eight calls to the Samaritans is now due to the effects of the recession, with some people simply ringing up to sob down the phone line.

More people in the Republic of Ireland are becoming overwhelmed by despair because of the recession.

A NEW pan-EU helpline for people with suicidal thoughts cannot be introduced by the Samaritans in the Republic because of fears that the cost of running the service would “financially cripple” the charity.

SOME people suffering from mental health issues may be avoiding visits to their GP because they cannot afford it, the Samaritans said yesterday.

THE Samaritans have urged people affected by the Inishowen crash tragedy to seek help to deal with the emotional aftermath.

A CROSS-PARTY Oireachtas group on mental health has been told there must be no funding cuts to mental health services as the recession increases the number of people committing suicide.

More than half the Irish population was worried about debt and money problems throughout the year, a survey revealed today.

THERE has been a massive surge in first-time callers as helplines and support groups have been overwhelmed with calls for help from abuse victims since the damning report on religious-run schools was published.

The number of people contacting the Samaritans over financial worries doubled in six months as the effects of the recession hit householders, it was revealed today.

I WISH to correct the statement of Senator Mary White quoted in your report on youth mental health (February 22). This inaccuracy may lead to a misunderstanding of the service offered by Samaritans.

SIX out of 10 people would not want anyone to know they had mental health problems, research reveals.

A sister of former Irish rugby international Victor Costello will be unveiled today as the first all-Ireland director of the Samaritans.

MAKING emotional health a mainstream issue is the key to reducing Ireland’s high suicide rate, according to the Samaritans’ new director of Ireland Suzanne Costello.