Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With respect to the claims of decreasing levels of alcohol consumption, in the case of young people, the level has gone up, particularly of spirits. I have seen this in colleges, in particular. In the first eight weeks after colleges return after the summer, there is a major increase in the drinking culture, particularly in the case of first-year students. There has been a switch to spirits, which also relates to advertising. Advertising has an effect on attitudes and spirits are seen by young people as fashionable.