A policy group on alcohol has been established by the RCPI in order to research solutions that will reduce the harmful health effects of alcohol in Irish society, IMN has been informed.
The group, established on February 1, brings together medical experts and health campaigners who will develop evidencebased solutions to combat the harmful health effects of alcohol.
Professor John Crowe, RCPI President, said: “The damaging effects of Ireland’s dysfunctional relationship with alcohol simply cannot be ignored.
“I am deeply disturbed by the increasing number of patients dying from endstage alcoholic liver disease, and what is particularly shocking is how young these patients are, and how many of them are young women.”
The College also welcomed the recommendations made by the National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group Report, which was published recently. Prof Crowe added that restrictions on availability, pricing, advertisements, and sponsorship are the main issues to be addressed.
“Alcohol-related harm is not confined to the heaviest drinkers in the population,” he said.
“It is binge drinkers who account for much of the acute alcohol-related problems in this country, such as aggression, injuries from falls, acute mental health problems, sexually-transmitted diseases, and poor work performance.”
Prof Crowe emphasised that, “as a society we need to face reality and make well-informed, if sometimes unpalatable decisions for the sake of our society and future generations.”
