Sport can ill-afford to lose alcohol sponsorship

A leading sports economist has stated that sporting bodies around the world are in no position to absorb the dent in funds that would accompany any legal restrictions on alcohol sponsorships.

The ethics of accepting such backing from the manufacturers of alcohol products have been debated endlessly here in Ireland and abroad with detractors pointing to the massive health and financial problems caused by alcohol abuse.

The topic was raised in a recent report of the National Substance Misuse Strategy steering group, published at the start of February, calling for a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sporting and large outdoor events.