Politicians ‘must end public link with drink’

WITH a major study suggesting that alcohol is causing more harm to society than heroin or crack cocaine, a leading addiction counsellor has called on politicians to end their public relationship with drink.

“Our politicians should not be appearing in the national newspapers, on television and on the airways promoting alcohol, either accidentally or deliberately,” said Donal Kiernan, spokesman for Irish Association of Alcohol and Addiction Counsellors (IAAAC).

He was speaking after a study, published in the Lancet, found alcohol caused the most harm to society, followed by crack cocaine and heroin. Each drug was scored for harm, including mental and physical damage, addiction, crime and costs to the economy and community.