Tag Archives: Alcohol Bill

THE new alcohol bill, seen as the first step in introducing a minimum price on alcohol, will help to promote responsible drinking, according to the chairman of the Clare Vintners Association. Charles O’Meara said the organisation has been campaigning for the Public Health Alcohol Bill for a long time. “I suppose Róisín Shorthall could see where we were going and, in fairness, Leo Varadkar seems to have brought it to this stage, which is fantastic,” he commented. Mr O’Mara believes minimum pricing will be a very positive tool for promoting responsible drinking. “In fairness, we’re making a living out of this as publicans but the whole social scene has changed. A dangerous precedent is being set over the last number of years. Alcohol is literally being sold cheaper than a bottle of water,” he conceded. “We certainly weren’t getting a fair shot at what we’re doing. We’re trying to make a living but we’re trying to do it properly. We’ve …

MINIMUM pricing will lead to reduction in alcohol-fuelled crime in Ireland and save lives, according to a leading research expert in the field has asserted. Professor Tim Stockwell told the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality this Tuesday that minimum pricing has led to a reduction in crime and deaths due to alcohol in Canada and would have similarly positive results if introduced in Ireland. Alcohol Action Ireland, the national charity for alcohol-related issues, and Professor Stockwell, Director at the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, addressed the Committee on alcohol-related crime and the potential of minimum pricing to reduce it. The Committee heard that alcohol plays a key role in crime in Ireland and the type and severity of alcohol-related offences are wide-ranging, from public order offences to violent assault and manslaughter, while alcohol-fuelled crime also puts a huge strain on Garda resources and costs the State an estimated €1.2 billion annually. Professor Stockwell presented his latest …