Doctors slam Arthur's Day ahead of talks on Ireland's alcohol problem

Doctors have attacked the upcoming Arthur's Day event organised by Diageo to promote Guinness.

A public meeting is being held tomorrow evening at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin, to discuss the dark side of the Ireland's relationship with alcohol.

Dr Stephen Stewart, Specialist in Liver Disease and Director of the Liver Disease Centre in the Mater Hospital, said we don't need another excuse to drink.

Dr Stewart said: "Irish people have what can be termed as an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and that relationship has been deteriorating over the past 15-20 years.

"The number of patients dying from alcohol-related activities has increased dramatically, so any front-line doctor would say they are seeing a lot more patients with advanced liver disease, with other mortalities from alcohol-related problems.

"We need to do something about that."