The National Alcohol Conference was told by Pat Harvey that Ireland’s drinking “is of epidemic proportions” and that parents should ask if their drinking impacts their family.

An ‘unapologetic’ LEVY should be put on the drinks industry, the chairman of the Alcohol Forum has said.

Pat Harvey, who is also a former CEO of the North Western Health Board, addressed the National Alcohol Conference today, challenging Government, the drinks industry and parents to show leadership on what he described as “Ireland’s harmful drinking epidemic”.

He said that Ireland “would be a much richer country, socially, economically and from a health perspective if we were brave enough to show leadership”. In a hard-hitting address, he called for the “unapologetic” levy on what he described as the ‘Goliath’, saying: