Drink and drugs: it’s time to act

RECENT statistics have shown that alcohol and drug consumption by young people rose steadily throughout the 1990s and that Ireland has one of the most alcohol and drug experienced youth populations in the EU.

How any politician can say the figures are exaggerated, or that we do not have a problem here, is unbelievable.

We have a major problem with regard to drug and alcohol abuse and it is about time we faced up to it.

Alcohol is a very addictive drug. There is also evidence to show it is the gateway to other drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and tobacco. The drinks industry spends hundreds of millions of euro each year on advertising and, because of the gateway effect, they are indirectly advertising the other drugs as well.

One of the main recommendations of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol was to restrict alcohol advertising because of the effect it was having on the young people. This recommendation was not implemented after strong lobbying by the drinks industry.

President Mary McAleese has recently referred to the level of alcohol consumption in Ireland, which she rightly maintains is causing havoc in society. The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a pastoral letter recently on alcohol and drugs. We hear from the gardaí that in recent tit-for-tat killings over drug territory, most of the killers were high on drugs. Indeed most criminal activity — be it murder, rape or assault — is connected with drugs and alcohol. It was alleged recently that traces of cocaine were found in the toilet of the Dáil bar.

What is needed to reverse this trend is a cultural change, ie, to make it ‘uncool’ to binge drink or take drugs. This will not be an easy task and will take some time, but it can be done. After all, God Save The Queen was played in Croke Park recently.

We have no united approach to alcohol and drugs and no single government department with overall responsibility for the implementation of a national alcohol and drug policy. We urgently need one.

Such a department should be properly resourced and could use youth role models like Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Derval O’Rourke.

The question is, will the Government challenge the vested interests of a powerful and well-resourced alcohol industry. This should be made an election issue. The Government could give a lead by closing the Dáil bar. After all, very few workplaces have a bar laid on for workers.

Pat Cahill

81 Whitehall Road

Terenure

Dublin 12