Today, Professor Frank Murray says that any further delay to the enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will cost lives.

In an article published in the leading medical journal The Lancet, Chair of Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland and liver specialist, Professor Frank Murray details the enormity of the health burden of alcohol in Ireland, the heaviest drinking nation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

He highlights the problem of underage drinking - 46% of people under the age of 15 have consumed alcohol and almost two thirds of those aged 18-24 years have consumed six or more standard drinks on a typical session. In adults, more than half of individuals who drink alcohol do so in a harmful or hazardous way.

Last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed his ‘absolute commitment’ to the Public Health Alcohol Bill and announced that it would be back before the Seanad next Wednesday, 8th November.