Binge drinking - State action is needed urgently
This timely warning came yesterday from the clinical director of an addiction centre who called on the industry to advertise its products less and give more protection to society.
Unfortunately, the appeal made by Stephen Rowan of the Rutland Centre for the industry to pull back on advertising is unlikely to cut much ice with drinks companies.
His comments were made in relation to the recent publication of guidelines for advertising alcohol by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).
Effectively, the commission proposes to ban television and radio advertisements for alcopops before the end of the year but it has drawn a distinction with the promotion of other alcoholic drinks. As such, the BCI conclusions were welcomed by the industry.
It is hard to quibble with the logic of Dr Rowan’s line of argument. Basically, he believes people must bear responsibility for their personal drinking habits. But he also holds that the powerful drinks industry has a major responsibility in relation to consumers.
Urging the industry to ‘step back’, he wants it to embrace the concept of promoting drink products less rather than more. Essentially, he argues that less advertising would mean less consumption of alcohol and that in turn would mean less suffering for the Irish people.
While this approach may sound naive, it is sure to gain popular support. However, it is unlikely to be entertained by alcohol producers who are highly defensive about their products and resentful of criticism, no matter how well intentioned.
While they may preach moderation, at the end of the day companies are driven by bottom-line considerations and see promotional advertising campaigns as critical to their profits.
The Rutland director, who helps people with alcohol and drug addiction, is insistent that responsibility for Ireland’s dysfunctional relationship with drink must also be borne by society itself. He believes parents and individuals, as well as the industry, must play a more active part in lessening the destructive nature of over-drinking.
Generally speaking, it is customary for people to socialise over a few drinks. But a worrying trend of binge drinking is now emerging here.
According to research, this pattern is alarmingly prevalent among children and young people who are increasingly given to drinking way past the outer limits of normal sobriety.
Over-drinking can severely damage one’s health with, among other side-effects, lethal repercussions on the liver and heart. Frighteningly, however, binge drinking can also damage the brain in a relatively short timespan.
Furthermore, as we know to our cost in this country, excessive drinking is generally blamed for much of the carnage on Ireland’s roads. According to a regional study, drink figured in 30% of fatal accidents involving young people.
Moreover, an EU report concluded that Irish people spend more on alcohol and binge drink more than their fellow Europeans. It also described young people in the Republic as the EU’s biggest booze bingers.
Not surprisingly, those findings were rejected by the industry which claimed the researcher was biased and that his findings were based on outdated information.
However, there is no gainsaying the first-hand experience of addiction experts at the Rutland Centre.
Arguably, Government should tackle binge drinking in the same way as drink driving is now being targeted, albeit after much political foot-dragging.
There can be no doubt that an intensive campaign is urgently needed to combat binge drinking in Ireland.
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