Seven videos from the seminar (Youtube)

The aim of the seminar was to bring together representatives from the Task Forces, across all three sectors – community, voluntary and statutory- to have a focused discussion on the Public health (Alcohol) bill, within the context of:
(1) The role of alcohol within the current National Strategy, and
(2) Its role in the next National Drug and Alcohol Misuse Strategy, which is currently being prepared.

The seminar also aimed to add further to calls for the enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill and for participants to share their experiences, to date, of trying to incorporate alcohol into the work of Task Forces.

The heads of the bill were published in February 2015. No further progress has been made by the Dáil towards the enactment of the bill.

In concluding the seminar the following was agreed by the representatives of the Local Drug and Task Forces in attendance:
1. All members of the Dáil should work together to enact the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill within the lifetime of the current Dáil.
2. The Government should publish a new Drug and Alcohol Misuse Strategy
3. The Government should appoint a Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy
4. Resources should be put in place by Government to ensure the effective implementation of the new Drug and Alcohol Misuse Strategy
5. The Government should put in place a new inter-departmental National Drug and Alcohol Misuse Strategy Team to drive the implementation of the bill