Doctors today welcomed a plan by the Government to restrict alcohol sales in convenience stores and supermarkets and to give gardai new powers to seize alcohol from underage drinkers.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan published a draft Intoxicating Liquor/Public Order Bill.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said the move should lessen the harm caused by alcohol in society.
"The recognition that public policy making across government departments will need to take account of the specific properties of alcohol is a landmark" said Prof Joe Barry, public health consultant, and former president of the IMO.
"The recognition that alcohol is not an ordinary product should facilitate public health and public order legislation-making to lessen the harms caused by alcohol," Prof Barry said.
"We have reached a tipping point in Ireland with regard to health and social harms caused by alcohol."
Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte also broadly welcomed the Bill. “As a nation, we now have difficult decisions to make when it comes to our latent toleration of alcohol abuse. Our drink culture seems to be getting worse, and more aggressive,” Mr Rabbitte said.
The plan to require the separation of alcohol products in supermarkets is a “measured one”, he said.
He also welcomed the provision that would tighten up on the granting of special exemption orders for late-night venues.
Mr Rabbitte added: “It’s worth pointing out, however, that the Government has a long-standing record of failing to implement powers already given to it by the Oireachtas in this regard. . . . I sincerely hope that any new powers given to the Minister under this Bill will not suffer the same fate."
Meanwhile, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) also welcomed the publication of the new measures, describing it as "a welcome step in the right direction". The IPH's submission had called for tighter regulation of the availability of alcohol, a limit special exemptions and stricter enforcement of penalties for selling to minors.
However, the institute said it was still considering its response on a number of elements, including its call for minimum pricing and a means to identify the seller of bottled alcohol.
The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Digi) said its members would assess the report and the proposed legislative changes “with positive intent to help ensure that any legislative and regulatory reform which results is appropriately targeted, practical and realistic”.
The organisation said it welcomed the acknowledgement by the Taoiseach that most Irish people enjoy drink sensibly.
The National Youth Council of Ireland said the Bill is "long overdue and is essential legislation that will begin to tackle the problem of alcohol misuse in Irish society".
However, the Young Greens said they were disappointed to see the Government focus mainly on legislation to restrict opening hours and reducing the availability of alcohol.
The group called instead for stronger measures to combat the causes of excessive drinking, including more late-night alcohol-free social venues for young people, and an end to sponsorship of major sporting events by alcoholic drinks companies.
