Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to speak briefly on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 and to congratulate Senator Black for her sincere dedication in driving forward a policy which is long overdue in addressing the advertising message our manufacturers employ when distributing alcohol. I am coming at this from a mental health perspective, as most of us are, when we refer to this as a health Bill. Any legislation with the primary purpose of regulating the supply of alcohol has my complete support. It is vital that we as a society no longer treat alcohol as another grocery item. With free and open access to alcohol comes responsibility with consumption. The policy behind the Bill is important in that it seeks to curtail a certain type of drinking culture in Ireland which has been unexamined and sanctioned for too long. This is the type of culture we all know and one which encourages two for the price of one drinks and shrugs off the long-term consequences of binge drinking. Drinking to excess in this country is sometimes seen as a badge of pride when, in fact, it reflects a harmful dependency, particularly in young people, which is damaging for their development. There is a huge need to address our drinking culture in Ireland and the Bill goes a significant way towards doing that.

Alcohol harms our health and worsens our mood. It is a depressant which severely exacerbates underlying mental health issues. Numerous reports have been highlighted in the past, most recently Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's child protection report under section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991. He reviewed more than 500,000 fields of PULSE data and noted widespread mental health issues underpinned by alcohol and substance abuse.