Letter to the Irish Independent from Alcohol Action Ireland CEO, Suzanne Costello.

It is important to provide a counterpoint to the views expressed by the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) in yesterday’s edition. The article gave the impression that the alcohol industry had no involvement in the formulation of the proposed Alcohol Strategy.

The alcohol-harm reduction measures proposed for inclusion in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill arose from the Steering Group Report on the National Substance Misuse Strategy. ABFI were one of two alcohol industry bodies represented on the Steering Group and included in the discussions, where they voiced their opposition to the evidence-based recommendations concerning the pricing, marketing and availability of alcohol – measures which international evidence demonstrates will be effective in reducing alcohol-related harm in Ireland.......