Alcohol joins illegal drugs in single strategy

THE Government is to combine alcohol and illegal drugs into a single strategy, it has emerged.

The move is being hailed a success for drugs strategy minister John Curran and his department who brought the proposal for a national substance misuse strategy to the Government.

It is viewed as a major setback for the alcohol industry, but will be greeted by health bodies and community groups who have long campaigned for it.

Rosemary Garth of the Alcohol and Beverage Federation of Ireland said they were very disappointed with the decision.

“There are fund differences between alcohol and drugs. Drugs are illegal and cause huge amounts of harm with no positive benefits. Alcohol is a legal product and when consumed responsibly is part of a healthy diet,” she said.

Leading alcohol expert, Dr Joe Barry of Trinity College Dublin, said: “Every health agency and community group has advocated that alcohol and drugs be linked, so it’s encouraging the Government has listened to that. Hopefully we will see a reduction in alcohol-related harm in time.”

He added: “Alcohol is a substance, it is a drug, a depressant, so it makes sense to include it. Also, there is a big link between alcohol and other drugs, such as cocaine. Many drug-related deaths involve alcohol and benzodiazepines and heroin.”

Fiona Ryan of Alcohol Action Ireland welcomed the decision, but said alcohol must not be “just an add on” to the drugs strategy.

She said previous alcohol strategies were never implemented, while “alcohol-related harms continued to increase exponentially”.

Mr Curran, who is minister of state at the Department of Community Affairs, said the Government made the decision after a proposal from his department.

“I am delighted that the Government has approved this combined approach to drugs and alcohol. A combined strategy will facilitate a more coherent approach to the issues and consequences of alcohol and illicit drug use, including addictive behaviours.”

He said alcohol was raised throughout the consultation process for a new national drugs strategy for 2009-2016. “Alcohol is seen, for many, as a gateway to illicit drug use, and polydrug use, often including alcohol, is now the norm among illicit drug users.”

Details of the new approach will be discussed over the coming weeks in the context of completing a national substance misuse strategy.