Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy O'Sullivan on tabling the motion, and the aspiration, to prioritise addiction as a health issue, not primarily as a criminal one, and ensure the necessary allocation of resources, is a noble one. I would like to speak about alcohol because for too long we have not recognised it as a drug. We think of it almost as part of our diet. At this stage it is so interwoven into who we are that it is problematic. When one visits other European countries, one sees how different the attitude is in comparison with here.

The notion that alcohol costs the State €3.7 billion in overall terms is frightening. It is amazing. Given that money is so scarce, apart from the destruction of so many lives which alcohol causes, dealing with it could also save the State a huge amount of money. A 30% reduction in alcohol harm would save the State €1 billion. A huge effort is required in this area and it would be money very well spent. It be good not only socially but also economically.

Most people have mentioned the various elements on which alcohol touches, such as 60 medical conditions, suicide, crime, absenteeism and workplace accidents. The list is endless. Like most people in the House, I like a pint of Guinness and a glass of red wine, but it is not the drinking of alcohol which causes all the harm, it is its abuse. I coach under 16s, 17s, 18s and 19s in the Wexford Youths. When I get a group of new players, my first challenge is to deal with the alcohol issue. Honestly, this is my first challenge. I must get them to think differently about how they drink. Cigarettes are another issue, but alcohol is the biggest one. I must completely change their mindset. We have won six under 18 all-Ireland titles in the past 15 years. The only reason we have done so is because we develop a discipline which involves responsible drinking. I am not saying they give it up, but they stop abusing it. If I am watching a match, after ten minutes I can tell whether a guy was drinking the night before. One can tell by how he moves and his pace over the first two yards.

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