Government proposals are to be vetted for their impact on health, the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, announced yesterday.
The measure is included in the national health promotion strategy for the next five years. Mr al Martin also announced the establishment of a National Health Promotion Forum which he will chair.
The strategy recognises that health is determined not just by the work of the health services but also by factors such as poverty, the environment, housing and education Therefore, Government proposals will be vetted before decisions are made at Cabinet level. The Minister agreed yesterday that this could include opposing any relaxation of excise duties on tobacco and ensuring health concerns are taken into account concerning licensing laws.
It could also include insisting that local authority housing developments include green spaces and recreational facilities since these contribute to general health. The National Health Promotion Forum will include representatives of a range of bodies involved in health. It replaces the National Consultative Committee on Health Promotion.
Figures published in the strategy document show that, despite improvements, Irish people continue to have low life expectancy compared to other EU countries.
At age 40, Irish males can expect to live for between 35 and 36 years, the fourth lowest expectancy in the EU. Irish women can expect to live for almost 40 years more, the second-lowest expectancy in the EU.
The report notes that as many as a third of Irish adults smoke and that a fifth of the nine-to-17 age group are smokers.
"There has been a shift in patterns of drinking in that most adults now drink alcohol," it says. "Twenty seven per cent of adult males and 21 per cent of adult females consume more than the recommended weekly limits of sensible alcohol consumption."
Exercising declines swiftly in young people as they get older and only 42 per cent of adults engage in regular exercise. "Rates declined markedly with age," it says.
Only 41 per cent of adults eat the recommended number of daily servings of bread, cereal and potatoes, the strategy document says, and Irish children have one of the highest consumption rates for confectionery and soft drinks.
"As a nation, we in Ireland are smoking too much and drinking excessively," the Minister said.
A key theme of the strategy is that health is determined by factors other than the health services. These include poverty, housing and education.
A number of "co-ordinators" are to be appointed to organise health promotion. One will promote better health in communities and another will promote healthier workplaces. A national breastfeeding co-ordinator will be appointed to review national policy on breast-feeding.
The National Youth Council of Ireland said it was alarmed by figures in the strategy document showing that 15 per cent of boys between nine and 11 years of age admitted to having had a drink. "Underage drinking is part of a wider problem in Irish society," it said. "We live in a culture that tends to glorify the consumption of alcohol."
pomorain@irish-times.ie