Alcohol bill 'likely' to fuel violence and public intoxication
And Among Eu The Countries 10 Of A Heavy Drinking, In Capita Episodic Is Per Top Of Ireland Consumption Terms Related Problems Alcohol Variety
Ireland is “very likely” to experience more violence on the street and in the home, as well as higher levels of hospital emergencies, if proposed licensing laws are passed, a leading international expert has warned.
Professor Tom Babor said for Ireland to avoid the “epidemics of public intoxication” seen in other countries that have promoted their nighttime economy, it needs to revise the laws.
The General Scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 has been introduced to streamline the alcohol licensing system and create a single bill to regulate its sale.
Launching the bill, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the bill would “support the development of the night-time economy".
Prof Babor, based at the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in the US, conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the bill and concluded: “It is highly likely that the bill could contribute to an upward trend in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.”
Prof Babor said Ireland was among the top 10 EU countries in terms of heavy episodic drinking, per-capita consumption and a variety of alcohol-related problems.
He said provisions in the bill allowing for an extension in trading hours as a means of stimulating the nighttime economy have been implemented in other countries.
In the Netherlands, he said a one-hour extension in central Amsterdam resulted in a 34% increase in ambulance calls for alcohol-related injuries compared to other areas of the city.
Similar changes in 18 cities in Norway found a 16%-25% increase in assaults attributable to the extension.
He said provisions enabling an increase in retail outlets have, according to studies, generally resulted in increases in “street and domestic violence, road crashes and injury”.
He added: “Hospital admissions, emergency presentations, and domestic violence are also influenced by increases in outlet density.”
He expressed particular concern at the impact of public drinking in city areas with concentrations of licensed premises.
“Many cities in the UK, the EU and Australia have experienced epidemics of public intoxication following policy changes that were intended, just like the Sale of Alcohol Bill, to attract adults and youth to social and cultural events, but succeeded mainly in attracting youth out for a night of heavy drinking,” Prof Babor said.
He launched his report with three groups, Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network, Alcohol Action Ireland, and Alcohol Forum Ireland.
Prof Babor recommends restrictions are kept on opening hours and that off-licence trading hours are set at 10am to 10pm.
He calls for residents to have access to legal resources to ensure the community has a role in the licensing system.
Prof Babor said there should be restrictions on the sale of products susceptible to abuse, such as liquor shots and energy drinks and urged limits on “super pubs”.
He called for a health impact assessment on the potential effects of the law and a “sunset provision” terminating the bill if it fails to produce economic benefits and reduce alcohol-related harms.