Industry anger over report on alcohol spending

THE drinks industry has reacted angrily to a report that claims people are spending more on alcohol than they do on food.

Food lobby group Agri Aware released figures that showed consumers spent €7.1 billion on alcohol last year compared with €6.5bn on food.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) said the report is misleading as it highlights the inequity of penal tax rates on alcohol whereas there are none on most foods.