The Government's pursuit of a night-time economy that increases access to alcohol will bring issues to Ireland’s streets and homes, according to a new report.
The report is by Professor Emeritus Tom Babor of the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Prof Babor, who has worked with the World Health Organization on the development of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Alcohol, Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), has analysed the Sale of Alcohol Bill which was published by the Department of Justice last October.
The general scheme sets out conditions in relation to court permits for nightclubs to authorise the sale of alcohol up until 5am and allow them to stay open until 6am.
Prof Babor's report questioned whether the major changes proposed in the bill are likely to facilitate "epidemics of binge drinking that have major implications for public health and social well-being".
The report pointed out that many cities in the UK, the EU and Australia have experienced "epidemics of public intoxication" following policy changes that were intended to attract adults and youth to social and cultural events, but "succeeded mainly in attracting youth out for a night of heavy drinking".
Alcohol Action Ireland's chair Professor Frank Murray, who will attend the report launch today, has noted that approximately 1,500 hospital beds are used every day for alcohol-related illnesses in Ireland.
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A study in 29 emergency departments (ED) found that alcohol accounted for 6% of all patients presenting to ED, with 57% arriving by ambulance and in the early hours of Sunday morning, alcohol-related illnesses and injuries accounted for 29% of all presentations to EDs, according to Prof Murray.
"We should bear in mind the fact that other jurisdictions are rowing back on liberalisation of night-time economies. For example, Amsterdam is placing further restrictions on alcohol consumption and earlier closures for bars.
"Some districts in Amsterdam had found a 34% increase in ambulance attendances for alcohol-related injury where there had been a one-hour increase in opening hours of alcohol outlets, compared with other areas within the city."
Alcohol Forum Ireland CEO Paula Leonard said Prof Babor’s analysis indicated that the annual figure of €3.7 billion that alcohol already costs Ireland can only increase "if public health issues continue to be ignored".
Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network, Alcohol Action Ireland and Alcohol Forum Ireland have called on the Government to follow up on a recommendation by the Oireachtas Committee on Justice that a public health impact assessment be carried out as part of pre-legislative scrutiny of the bill.
