The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has criticised the Government for bowing to the drinks industry.
IMO President, Dr Joe Barry, today accused the Government of "allowing the drinks industry to prevail in the setting of alcohol policy".
Dr Barry also claimed the Government was not "prepared to implement the recommendations of their own Strategic Taskforce on Alcohol."
He said: "The recent events at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court have yet again tragically highlighted the negative consequences of alcohol for young Irish people."
"Public order problems and huge pressures of already overcrowded A&E Departments are attributable to our drinking patterns."
Dr Barry praised the Government for withstanding what he described as "vested interest groups who have tried to undermine the proposed legislation on environmental tobacco smoke".
But he said unfortunately the opposite is true of the alcohol policy.
"Alcohol policy is more complex than tobacco policy", said Dr Barry.
However, that is no excuse for allowing the drinks industry to set the agenda," he said.