Alcohol action plan set to come before Cabinet

The troubled Government action plan on alcohol will go to Cabinet in the coming weeks — but it is not clear when policies to end alcohol sports’ sponsorship and introduce minimum pricing will actually be implemented.

By the time the plan is brought to Cabinet, it will be three years since a government-appointed expert group first met to draw up a national alcohol strategy.

Speaking at a conference on alcohol, the new junior health minister, Alex White, said the issue of ending sports sponsorship — opposed by several ministers and departments — was not “a stumbling block”.