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Underage alcohol consumption falls in Ireland

The Alcohol and Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) has welcomed a report that shows young people in the country are consuming less alcohol and are having their first drink at a later age.

Underage drinking is declining in Ireland

In 2014, 29.8% of children said they had their first alcoholic drink aged 13 or younger, compared to 48.8% in 2002, according to the research.

Overall, 41.2% of 15- to 17-year-olds reported ever being drunk in 2014, down from 58.2% in 2002.

The Trends in Health Behaviours, Health Outcomes and Contextual Factors between 1998-2014 report, published by the Health Promotion Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway, studied 50,000 10- to 17-year-olds since 1998.

“These findings support a growing body of international evidence and confirm what we in the industry already know, that alcohol consumption is declining In Ireland,” said Patricia Callan, ABFI director.

“A recent ESPAD (EU alcohol) survey found that Irish teenagers were third-lowest out of 32 European countries surveyed for alcohol consumption and the WHO Health Behaviour in School Aged Children Study stated ‘Ireland is amongst a group of countries which have the most abstemious adolescents’.

“Furthermore, the Healthy Ireland Survey 2015, commissioned by the Department of Health, found that 58% of those surveyed drink alcohol less frequently than once a week and there has been a decline in the numbers engaged in binge drinking.”

Callan also reiterated claims that the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, set to be introduced in the country, will not address alcohol misuse.

“As an industry we have openly supported the introduction of legislation to tackle alcohol misuse and the consumption of alcohol by young people,” she continued. “However, there is no evidence to support certain measures contained in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill which we believe will do nothing to  tackle misuse and but will jeopardise jobs and local economies in the wider hospitality sector which employs 200,000 people.

“The proposed introduction of a 9pm evening watershed for broadcast media to limit the exposure of under 18s to alcohol advertising will be detrimental for Irish broadcasters whose revenues are already under threat. Yet it will be utterly ineffective as it will not apply to programming that is viewed on demand or online – increasingly popular as a means of viewing content by young people.

“We believe that a balance could and should be struck between promoting public health and safeguarding jobs and local business in our communities.”

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