Alcohol bill will not impact our biggest drug problem

Having read the Heads of Alcohol Bill, I am wondering what all the fuss was about. Not a lot has changed.

Minimum price is by no means a certainty; it is still being challenged at European level. Availability, which was to be addressed by the implementation of Section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2008, has been put on hold for two years, while a statutory code is brought in to replace the voluntary code operated by the retailers. How different will the statutory code be compared to the existing voluntary code?

And alcohol sponsorship continues because alternative funding could not be sourced. Once again, it’s a missed opportunity to make a big impact on the biggest drug problem in the country.