Reducing the drink-driving limit to 50 mg/ml and imposing a levy on the drinks industry are among the Labour Party's proposals on alcohol. The levy would pay for alcohol education and alcohol-related health costs.
Launching the policy yesterday, Labour's spokesman on Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Joe Costello, said the party wanted to replace the existing culture of tolerance of alcohol abuse with one of responsibility.
There was an onus of responsibility on everyone in the drinks industry at every level, from the brewers and distillers and the licensed trade, to the Garda and the Government, to consumers, to play their part, he said.
Referring to drink producers, he said they should pay the Government a special levy on their profits, which would be placed in a designated fund. This would finance education and information programmes for young people, and pay for health treatment and rehabilitation for those damaged by alcohol. Asked how much should be raised, he said something similar to the €38 million spent last year on advertising drink.
He also said advertising that linked alcohol to young people and sporting activities should be banned. A health warning should be obligatory on every packaged unit of alcohol, and the Minister should be empowered to introduce further restrictions on advertising as he saw fit.
No one under the age of 18 should be allowed to serve alcohol on licensed premises. On national ID cards, Mr Costello said the personal public service computer coded card, which is now issued to all citizens when they reach the age of 16, could include a photograph and could be used to verify age.
He said there are over 70 separate pieces of legislation covering the liquor trade, and he called for the law in this area to be consolidated and codified. The section of the 2000 Intoxicating Liquor Act that requires alcohol sold in off-licences to be traceable back to the vendor should be activated to combat under-age drinking.
Enforcement of the liquor laws is haphazard, he said, urging the Garda to follow the example of Supt Carey in Mayo, where licensing laws are strictly enforced.
Ms Róisín Shortall, party spokeswoman on transport, said the alcohol/blood limit for drink-driving should be lowered to 50 mg/ml, which is commonplace in Europe. Such a limit would mean an adult of average weight and metabolism could drink one pint of beer before being over the limit.
Drivers with probationary licences should not be allowed have any alcohol in their system while learning to drive. There should be random breath-testing of drivers, rather than testing only those suspected of being over the limit, as is current practice.