Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I raise an important matter related to the protection of public health and social well-being. I ask the Government to make a statement on its planned strategy to tackle the growing misuse of alcohol. Despite the HSE spending almost €400,000 on alcohol related problems, the drinking culture among young people is becoming even more pronounced. I note the comment by the former policy adviser to the Department of Health and Children, Dr. Ann Hope, that education through schools and mass media campaigns have failed. This is a worrying development.

While I realise the drinks lobby, which Members met today, is a very strong group and the industry makes an economic contribution to the country, it must also act responsibly. We must address binge drinking among young people. While education through schools is a good initiative, we must also actively promote activities outside of school hours which keep teenagers away from alcohol and the culture of binge drinking. This should include greater roll-out of "no name clubs", youth clubs and youth cafés. Such initiatives could, in time, be cost neutral to the State. Ógra Chorcaí and the various Foróige organisations do great work and provide our youth with positive outlets.

Ireland is recognised globally for its drinking culture and many tourists take account of the fun element when considering whether to visit Cork, Dublin, Galway or Kinsale, a town with which the Acting Chairman, Senator McCarthy will be familiar. Alcohol abuse has a serious side and impacts on society, the economy and the health and well-being of citizens. I refer specifically to Irish teenagers and young adults who drink more than their counterparts in any other European country. A survey carried out in 2007 by the European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs, ESPAD, showed that half of Irish schoolgoing students had drunk alcohol in the previous 12 months.

The facts surrounding alcohol abuse are alarming. Alcohol is responsible for 100 deaths per month and 2,000 beds are occupied every night in hospitals due to alcohol. Nearly half of all male suicides are directly related to the misuse of alcohol and one in four deaths among young men is alcohol related. Alcohol is also the cause of four times as many deaths as all other drugs combined. Alcohol related harm costs the health sector €1.2 billion per annum and costs the State a further €1 billion through crime and public order offences.

Those who drink excessively in their teens will experience alcohol related problems when they are older. Young adults are constantly being targeted and influenced by alcohol advertising, whether in sport, on television, at music events or on social networking sites. The most popular pages on the Irish Facebook site include those of bands such as U2 which has almost 3.5 million followers, Westlife which has 850,000 followers and the Oxygen music festival which has 100,000 followers. Other popular Facebook pages include the Ryanair page which has 46,000 followers and Munster rugby which has 30,000 followers. The power of alcohol is evident in the fact that Baileys has 850,000 followers on Facebook, Guinness UK has 286,000 followers and Guinness Ireland 129,000, while Jameson Whiskey has 90,000 followers and Captain Morgan rum has 59,000 followers.

The Government must give a clear and coherent message. While I am aware that Dr. Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer, is pioneering the incorporation of alcohol in the national drugs strategy, I am not convinced we are selling the message to young people that alcohol misuse is dangerous. I ask the Minister of State to update the House on the test purchasing of alcohol scheme which commenced last month. Every year, 16 and 17 years olds in Ireland spend nearly €145 million on alcohol. What advice has the Ombudsman for Children given the Minister in this regard?

Binge drinking is becoming more widespread. This morning, representatives of the drinks industry informed Members at a meeting in a nearby hotel that it is carrying out drink awareness campaigns through the media and dedicated websites. We must encourage the industry to become proactive and work towards the aspiration of reducing alcohol consumption. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.