Public health not a luxury, says alcohol group

Government ministers raising objections to plans to scrap alcohol sponsorship for sports and arts events have been told by Alcohol Action Ireland: “Public health is not a luxury.”

Four ministers are understood to have raised concerns over proposals that would phase out alcohol sponsorship of sports and arts events, and also limit the advertising of alcohol on television and the internet.

It was claimed yesterday that Pat Rabbitte, the minister for communications; Leo Varadkar, the sport and tourism minister; Simon Coveney, the agriculture minister; and Jimmy Deenihan, the arts minister, had all voiced concerns over some of the proposals by the National Substance Misuse Strategy steering group.