Alcohol misuse - Honesty must inform drink debate

Long, long before alcohol was named as a factor in the appalling case at Longford Circuit Criminal Court yesterday morning, where a 47 year-old mother was sentenced to 14 years in jail for the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of her pre-teen daughter, we all knew that our national relationship with drink is not always a healthy one.

Indeed, it is far too often destructive and demeaning; far too many lives, families, relationships, businesses and friendships have been destroyed by its misuse. In many ways, along with emigration and dishonesty, it is our national curse.

However, yesterday’s figures from the Health Research Board (HRB), which are the most detailed picture yet of Irish people’s relationship with alcohol, are startling. The HRB found that 150,000 people are dependent on alcohol and that 1.35m of us are harmful drinkers. This means that about one-in-four of us inflict harm on ourselves because of our drinking habits.