Ms Suzanne Costello:

The easiest way to characterise the availability of alcohol, particularly for young people, is to look to the past. I attended college almost 25 years ago and with the money we had available to us at that point, we could buy very little alcohol. Students have not changed throughout the years. People are always anxious to have a good time and to have fun at that age. We were restricted by the structures within the society around us and these prevented us from overdosing on or overindulging in alcohol. The position in this regard has changed radically. The amount of disposable income available to people now is significantly higher, while the price of alcohol has gone down. That combination alone is absolutely toxic in terms of young people overindulging in alcohol. We see that in our colleges during each academic year and we have witnessed some very tragic events. Enormous initiatives have been undertaken, particularly by the USI. The latter takes this issue extremely seriously in the context of trying to protect the health of students. It is difficult for the USI but we are supportive of the work it is doing.

There is no doubt in my mind that the cheapness and widespread availability of alcohol and its heavy promotion among students and young people are critical factors. The latter cannot be overlooked and it is a major driver in respect of this. I do not believe there is any difference between young people today and their counterparts 25 or 30 years ago, particularly in terms of their emotional maturity. They all want to have a good time, be popular and have exciting social lives. Unfortunately, those aspirations are inextricably linked with alcohol marketing in this country. As a result, they must be seen in the overall context. Minimum pricing is very important and availability is critical but marketing is also important. When the three come together, they create a slightly toxic mix and this is driving people and giving rise to significant harm.