Doctors have called for a ban on the sale of drink in supermarkets, small shops and petrol stations.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said licences allowing the sale of alcohol in these shops should be phased out.
The group said that Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan had "correctly identified the off licence sector as the major source of our continuing alcohol problem".
"Attempts at a voluntary code have rightly been seen as a futile exercise", said former IMO president Prof Joe Barry.
"Increasing concerns about home drinking have their root in the manner in which supermarkets in particular have marketed alcohol over the past number of years," he added.
He said "profit-seeking behaviour" by supermarkets had taken no account of the health and social consequences of drinking alcohol.
"Off-trade sales should be through specialist off-licences, where issues such as staff training and responsible server programmes, as advocated by the Government's Strategic Task Force on Alcohol, would have more effect."
This afternoon the Minister refused to comment specifically about the IMO proposal saying he would "look at all proposals submitted to the task force".