Supermarkets should be banned from selling alcohol at cut prices as part of efforts to combat drink abuse, it was claimed today.
The Beverage Council of Ireland (BCI) said below-cost offers on wine, beer and spirits in major stores should be outlawed in the same way that the happy hour in pubs was stopped.
BCI president Edward McDaid accused the Government of failing to take appropriate action to counteract alcohol abuse. "Government inaction on this issue is totally at variance with both industry and public policy endeavours to promote responsible drinking," he said.
"We now see that the supermarket multiples in particular have slashed the price of beer in particular, to the point where four young people can each put a fiver into a kitty and buy a case of beer.
"A bottle of beer now retails for as little as 75 cent. Yet at the same time other forms of drink promotions, like so-called happy hours in pubs are outlawed."
Mr McDaid told the BCI annual conference in Galway that this had been done to help tackle abuse of alcohol, and that was a good thing. But he said the strategy was being completely reversed by the below-cost promotions of alcohol in supermarkets.
"What we need is legislation which bans the sale of alcohol at below cost and the Beverage Council of Ireland is now calling on the Government to take the necessary action in this area," he said.
PA