A “whole of society” approach is needed to tackle the misuse of alcohol according to the Drinks Industry who say that they want to work with the community to create a shift towards an intolerance of its misuse.
Kathryn D’Arcy, director of Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI), reiterated the call at a Macra na Feirme seminar in Limerick recently.
At the event, which was considering the implications of alcohol abuse on young people, she stated that the drinks industry wants to work with communities, farming groups and the government to create a generational shift in Ireland’s relationship with alcohol, which would turn the current culture of tolerance of misuse to one of intolerance of misuse.
Speaking at the conference, Kathryn D’Arcy said, “While the reality is that the vast majority of Irish people consume alcohol in a manner that is not harmful, there is a problem of alcohol misuse by the minority and one thing that we can all agree on is that there is a notable culture of tolerance for alcohol abuse which must be addressed. However, demonising an entire industry, an industry which makes a vital contribution to the agricultural community and rural economy, will not affect societal change.
“The drinks industry spends €400 million on raw materials from farms across Ireland every year, supporting 5,000 farming families. The industry is one of the largest purchasers of barley utilising over 200,000 tonnes in the manufacturing of beer and spirits annually. 43,000 cows are needed to produce cream liqueur every year and 46,000 apples are used to produce cider. The high quality, world renowned products that are manufactured from these inputs are exported to 180 countries around the world, creating an export value of over €1.2 billion for the Irish economy.
“Thus, this is legitimate and highly important industry, which should not be punished because a minority of Irish people abuse alcohol. In fact, the industry funds the only organisations that attempt to change consumer behaviour around the abuse of alcohol, MEAS and drinkaware.ie.
“There are many things that the industry does and can do to realise a society where alcohol is enjoyed, not abused and being drunk is simply uncool. We want to work with communities, farming groups and the government to create a generational shift in our relationship with alcohol. The government must allow us to work with them to consider how alcohol is advertised and sold; ensuring alcohol is not sold as a loss leader. It is also important to equip parents and educators with the tools to talk to young people about alcohol. We want to create a sustainable market with a long term future, which will see our products enjoyed and not misused by a mature audience.”
