Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I last spoke in this House on the high level of alcohol consumption on 11 December 2002 and listened to the very comprehensive and interesting debate which followed. Since that time the trial of four young people following the death of a young man, Mr. Brian Murphy, outside a nightclub in this city has tragically highlighted the extremes of what can happen as a result of the excessive misuse of alcohol. Subsequent newspaper articles on teenage drinking identified a pattern of under-age drinking, with binge drinking becoming the norm and with an increasing number of pupils arriving at school with hangovers.

As I stated in the House previously, binge drinking and drunkenness by young persons lead to a wide range of problems. Poor school performance, accidents, relationship and delinquency problems are common in young binge drinkers. A study among the school-going Irish reports that 35% of the sexually active respondents said alcohol was an influencing factor in their engaging in sexual activity. Alcohol misuse has also been identified as one of the main risk indicators in regard to teenage pregnancy. Unprotected sexual activity can give rise to an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. During the past decade the incidence of sexually transmitted infection has increased by 165%.

Alcohol related offences committed by juveniles, such as assaults, public order offences, intoxication and possession of alcohol in a public place, have increased. In 2000, 3,800 alcohol related offences were committed by minors. This figure rose to 6,400 in 2001. What is also very worrying is the sharp increase in the number of young persons, especially young males in the 15 to 35 age cohort, who commit suicide. As has always been acknowledged, many factors can contribute to the act of suicide, but it must be acknowledged that alcohol misuse is a significant risk factor in the causation of suicide.

I would like to emphasise that the misuse of alcohol is not restricted to those underage or young categories. It affects all age groups within Ireland, which has had the highest increase in alcohol consumption among member states of the European Union in the past ten years. We have experienced a massive 41% increase in per capita alcohol consumption between 1989 and 1999. While this debate is focused on the issue of young persons drinking, it is important to point out the example for that drinking comes from the older generation. It is the practices in which we engage and the habits we form that influence the younger generation coming up.

Drinking by young persons is influenced by society as a whole. International research has demonstrated that the beliefs of young persons about the effects of alcohol and the desirability of those effects are acquired through observation, vicarious learning and the assimilation of cultural stereotypes. These messages are given to children before consumption of alcohol begins. Children have observed and vicariously learned and assimilated the cultural stereotypes that exist in this country about alcohol before they have any personal experience of it. This is a fundamental point. Research has shown that for those under 15 years of age, the most common sources of alcohol are taking it from the drink supply at home, being given it by their parents or having older siblings or friends buy it for them.

The health promotion unit of my Department has just completed a three year alcohol awareness campaign which has been very successful in developing media attention and generating public awareness on the issue. A new alcohol awareness campaign is currently being planned by the unit in association with the National Children's Office.

A strategic task force on alcohol was established by my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, in January 2002. The remit of the task force was to recommend evidence based measures to Government aimed at reducing and preventing alcohol-related harm. The main thrust of its report, which was published in May 2002, was to protect health and public safety as well as creating an environment that enables people make healthy choices. Key areas included protecting children and reducing pressure on adolescents to drink, preventing and limiting harm in the drinking environment and preventing alcohol-related road accidents and deaths.

An interdepartmental group has been established to co-ordinate responses to the recommendations and is due to report to the Minister for Health and Children shortly. The task force is finalising its second report which will contain further recommendations aimed at reducing harm.

A responsible server training programme has been developed by the health promotion unit in association with the drinks industry group. The aim of the programme is to limit harm in the drinking environment by not serving to intoxicated customers and those underage and promoting alternative strategies to reduce drink driving. This programme is now being delivered by the hospitality training body, Fáilte.

The school, youth sector and college settings are the focal points for targeting young people to enable them to increase control over and to improve their health. Within the school setting, the introduction and implementation of the social and personal health education programme has been the focus of the past three years. Among the overall aims of this programme is the promotion of self-esteem and self-confidence, to enable students to develop a framework for responsible decision making and to promote physical, mental and emotional health and well being.

The national youth health programme is a partnership between the National Youth Council of Ireland, the health promotion unit of my Department and the youth affairs section of the Department of Education and Science. This programme continues to support youth organisations in becoming more health promoting through both topic-based training and comprehensive organisational training and development through the health promoting youth service initiative.

A framework for the development of a college alcohol policy has been produced by the health promotion unit, in association with the heads of the colleges and the Union of Students of Ireland. The framework provides guidelines which include measures on controlling promotion, sponsorship and marketing on the college campus, providing education and support services, as well as alternatives, and limiting harm in the drinking environment.

A number of research projects on alcohol related matters have been commissioned by the health promotion unit, including a survey to examine the impact of alcohol advertising on teenagers. The findings indicate that alcohol advertising has a strong attraction for teenagers as it portrays lifestyles and images which are part of their social setting.

In addition to these developments, the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 has responded to certain recommendations of the Commission on Liquor Licensing and the strategic task force on alcohol which address the problem of underage drinking. This includes an obligation on those aged between 18 and 20 years to have an age document with them in a bar after 9 p.m. This should assist licensees in complying with provisions in regard to underage consumption and the gardaí in enforcing the law. The Act has also enabled the progression of the recommendation relating to the restriction of children at certain times and circumstances from licensed premises where it prohibits, subject to a number of exemptions, persons under 18 years of age from the bars of licensed premises after 9 p.m.

I have outlined some of the many ongoing initiatives and projects initiated by the Government. However, I must stress that the process of changing the attitudes of young people to binge drinking and getting drunk depends on the attitude and intolerance of society in general to this behaviour being considered socially normal.