Diageo campaign won’t tackle the hard truth

I chose not to get involved with the Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign because of its association with Diageo .

I have read the report and its recommendations but I think that when they talk of working with “the Industry”, the credibility of it all is lost on me.

This is the industry that funded the campaign but it is also the industry that is against regulation unless it is self-regulation, this is the same industry that has challenged minimum pricing in the European courts and this is the same industry that uses some of our sporting organisations to promote alcohol in exchange for large amounts of money.

The three main drivers of alcohol are price, availability and promotion. These three drivers are the most important part of the industry, that’s why they spend so much on lobbying against change.

If the industry is concerned about out-of-control drinking then why don’t they stop their out-of- control sponsorship and advertising? Just one more observation on the report,there is no reference to the link between alcohol and suicide, I find this difficult to understand when alcohol is recognized as being a contributing factor in over 50% of suicides in this country.

John Higgins

Shanaghy Heights

Ballina

Co Mayo