Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the plans, she has to ensure that alcohol consumption will be reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35298/07]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department supports the view that the level of alcohol consumption in a population is an important determinant of health and disease. Therefore, alcohol policy must take into account the total drinking population when defining the scope of public health action as well as targeting high-risk groups and individual high-risk drinkers. Policies to reduce harmful use of alcohol reach far beyond the realm of health and involve such sectors as, fiscal policy, trade, agriculture, education and employment, thus falling within the responsibilities of numerous Governmental agencies and organizations.

The Strategic Task Force on Alcohol (STFA), which was established in January 2002, published two reports which together provide approximately 100 recommendations across a wide range of sectors. These recommendations are consistent with the measures identified by the World Health Organisation as being effective in reducing alcohol consumption in a population. When used appropriately and together the following strategies can lead to a reduction in overall consumption of alcohol across the population:

regulating and restricting alcohol availability;

reducing the demand for alcohol through taxation and pricing mechanisms;

regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages, (in particular those practices that influence younger people);

implementing appropriate drink-driving policies;

implementing screening programmes and brief interventions against hazardous and harmful use of alcohol and

providing easily accessible and affordable treatment services for people with alcohol-use disorders.

My Department is maintaining a coordinating role in relation to alcohol policy and is continuing to pursue implementation of measures that will protect public health. I will continue to work with my Ministerial colleagues in those Government Departments which can make a significant contribution to the implementation of measures that would reduce alcohol consumption and reduce alcohol-related harm in this country.