Fudging issue of alcohol adverts

ALCOHOL companies should be required

Sat, 31 Aug, 2002 - 01:00

law to prominently display on all advertisements and products something along these lines: Alcohol abuse can result in death or disability, violence and other anti-social behaviour, mental and physical and psychological illness, unwanted pregnancies, foetal alcohol syndrome and debt.”

It won’t happen if the political will is absent, and it is. Judging by Minister Martin’s reply on the 1pm radio programme July 20 to Brian Farrell’s question on what he intended to do about alcohol advertising; his near-verbatim reply: “I’m looking into it. There are difficulties, like the number of TV channels - and other problems”. Is there any hope the Taoiseach would issue a diktat to the minister?

Gerard Sheehy, BEMA, MNCP,

Psychotherapist,

Grove Lawn,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.