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‘Neknomination’ prompts alcohol pricing pledge
The ‘Neknomination’ drinking craze has lead one Irish politician to pledge to tackle the sale of cheap alcohol.
Irish Labour minister Alex White has vowed to pursue minimum alcohol pricing plans following “Neknomination” craze
Online drinking phenomenon “Neknomination” involves social media users posting videos of them downing a drink while performing a stunt and then nominating someone else to do the same within 24 hours.
Following two deaths linked to the game in Ireland, Labour’s Irish junior health minister has pledged to crackdown on the sale of cheap alcohol and push forward with the implementation of minimum alcohol pricing.
The minister told the Irish Mirror that his department was “forging ahead” with the Public Health Alcohol, of which he claimed the “single most important” aspect was minimum alcohol pricing.
“It would be relevant for recent issues and recent events because people can buy alcohol very cheaply,” he said
“That is what minimum pricing is about; it is not about pushing up the price of all alcohol.”
Minimum pricing proposals were shelved by the UK Government in July last year following an onslaught of criticisms claiming the law would unfairly penalise responsible drinkers.
A bill for minimum unit pricing was, however, passed in Scotland, with the Scotch Whisky Association and other industry members challenging the policy in court.