New alcohol body ‘will not protect children’

DOCTORS have accused the Government of putting the interests of the drinks industry ahead of public health by letting it police itself.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) claims the new Alcohol Marketing Monitoring Body, launched yesterday by Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney, will not be enough to protect Irish children from alcohol marketing.

The new body has been established to ensure that a voluntary code of conduct on advertising already in place this year is implemented.

Ms Harney said she was confident that the voluntary code could be effective and with the establishment of the new monitoring body, Ireland now had a credible, effective voluntary control system in place in relation to alcohol advertising.

But she also warned that she would introduce legislation already drafted to restrict alcohol advertising and marketing practices if the process was lacking and if there were consistent breaches of the code.

The IMO, which represents more than 5,000 doctors, said Ms Harney had ignored evidence and advice that the introduction of legislation was the best way to ensure the greatest protection for children from the effects of alcohol advertising.

The department’s own report, The Impact of Alcohol Advertising on Teenagers in Ireland, recommended in 2001 that the exposure of children and adolescents to alcohol advertising in Ireland must be significantly reduced.

In 2004, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children recommended a complete ban on advertising. Later that year, the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol alluded to a draft Alcohol Products Bill that would restrict exposure of children to alcohol marketing.

Former IMO president Dr Joe Barry claimed that despite all the reports, the department had actively courted the alcohol and advertising industries to subvert their recommendations.

He added that the latest report from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs suggested that 150,000 Irish children under the age of 18 were regular drinkers.

“Where the interests of the alcohol industry collide with the health and well-being of the public, this Government can be relied on to bow to industry pressure and lobbying.

The new monitoring body will include representatives from the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health; the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and the Advertising Standards Authority.

Chairman of the new body, Peter Cassells, said breaches of the code would be dealt with by approaching the relevant organisations and obtaining a renewed agreement on the application of the code.

“Where agreement cannot be reached, the body will report the issue to the Minister for Health and Children and will include details of such breaches and attempts to resolve the issues,” said Mr Cassells.

Alcohol code:

* Radio and TV presenters will not glamorise or encourage over-consumption or abuse of alcohol, particularly among young people.

* Alcohol advertising and sponsorship will no longer be accepted on any TV or radio programmes where more than a third of the audience group is under 18 years.