A good start in tackling our problem - Alcohol legislation

THE Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has described the range of measures he has introduced to reduce alcohol consumption as the most far reaching legislation yet to curb the misuse of alcohol in Ireland.

That may be overstating things, yet there is little doubt that these new laws are, at the very least, a step in the right direction towards changing a cultural acceptance of over-indulgence in alcohol products.

The Government has agreed on a range of measures designed to reduce alcohol consumption, with restrictions on the sale of cheap drink and warning labels on bottles and cans among key elements of the plan.