State ‘must help sport end drink ties’
Rolande Anderson, alcohol project officer at the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), said that if sporting bodies suffered as a result of ditching their lucrative alcohol sponsorship deals, the Exchequer should step in.
“If sporting organisations are going to suffer, which they undoubtedly will, and find it difficult to get other sponsors, then the Government should look at supporting them.
“I think the money would be saved in terms of health costs in the long-term, not admittedly in the short term,” he said.
Mr Anderson said that if the Government could not afford to sponsor a major event, then it could consider part-sponsorship.
He said he realised the money involved in sponsorship, particularly for the top events, was very high.
His comments follow the publication of an alcohol task force report by the GAA, which recommended the phasing out of alcohol sponsorship and a review of the Guinness Hurling Championship, which runs out in 2006.
The drinks body has paid out €25 million in GAA sponsorship between 1995 and 2004.
Mr Anderson said the decision to end alcohol’s involvement in sport would be worth it. “One death from alcohol-related suicide would justify the whole thing,” he said.
Statistics from the Department of Health show that alcohol-related problems cost the State approximately €2.4 billion per year, including healthcare costs of €279 million.
Some sporting organisations, such as the Irish Rugby Football Union, would have a severe difficult ending alcohol sponsorship given they are in an international league, involving other countries who are free to accept such sponsorship.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism said that in the event of financial difficulties, any sporting organisation could apply to the Government for additional funding.
