Doctors call for 50% hike in price of spirits

THE drinks industry has rejected doctors’ calls for increasing the price of spirits by half in the next Budget, arguing alcohol consumption is a personal choice unlinked to cost.

Last night, IBEC’s Drink Manufacturers of Ireland (DMI), the representative body for the alcohol manufacturing sector, said doctors “needed to be aware of the practical and social impact” of some of their proposals.

At the AGM of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in Killarney, Co Kerry, doctors voted in favour of three separate motions calling for a hike in alcohol prices, including a 50% per measure increase in the price of spirits and an increase in excise duty on all alcohol, greater than the rate of inflation.

Dr Declan Bedford said this should exclude low-alcohol beers (less than 3% alcohol).

“It has been shown in some Australian states, where they did not increase excise on low-alcohol beers, consumption of these beers rose by up to 40%. You had less accidents and less road deaths,” he said.

Both Dr Bedford and Dr Joe Barry proposed motions calling on the Government to introduce random breath testing, by referendum if necessary, and to ban sponsorship of events by alcohol companies where the attendance included those under the age of 18.

“We have about 150,000 regular underage drinkers in Ireland. There is plenty of evidence that consuming alcohol at age 13 or 14 inhibits brain development. Yet alcohol is promoted relentlessly by the Government’s friends in the drinks industry,” Dr Barry said. He said an increase in excise duty on cider in 2001 and alcopops in 2002 had led to a drop in consumption.

Dr Tony Healy said no TD or Government minister was going to support a price hike that might cost them their seat in the next election.

DMI director Rosemary Garth said law enforcement, and not price hikes, would reduce alcohol consumption. She said previous taxation increases on spirits had simply led to bulk buying outside the State. She also said the call for a ban on alcohol companies promoting events was misplaced because the industry was bound by “a strictly enforced code of practice”.

The DMI did, however, support random breath testing and full enforcement of drink driving limits, she said. This would have the knock-on effect of reducing alcohol-related road deaths.