An outright ban on selling alcohol in outlets alongside groceries, confectionery and food should be considered, a report on alcohol and drug misuse published by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health has concluded.



Alcohol is responsible for approximately 100 deaths per month and accounts for 2,000 bed occupancies every night in hospitals around the country, and three out of every 10 emergency department attendances, the Committee said. “Furthermore, one in four deaths in young men is due to alcohol,” the report said.

Reducing the consumption of alcohol can only be achieved by addressing pricing and availability, the report concluded. Cheap alcohol was widely available in Ireland, with large retailers selling drink at below cost, “displaying a total disregard for the impact this is having on society”, the Committee said.