New codes of conduct aimed at curbing the exposure of young people to the promotion of alcohol have been strongly criticised by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO).
Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney today announced the new independent Alcohol Marketing Body (AMB), which will oversee compliance with a voluntary code on alcohol promotion for advertisers and broadcasters through all media.
The AMB, which will be chaired by former trade union leader and Labour Party European election candidate Peter Cassells, will not have power to impose sanctions.
Instead it will summon anyone it considers to be breaching the code; if not satisfied with the response, it will report the matter to the Department of Health. It will also send an annual report to the Department.
The IMO's Joe Barry said the strategy for tackling young people's abuse of alcohol was "yet again putting the commercial interests of the globalised multinational alcohol industry ahead of the health and well being of Irish citizens."
Ms Harney has ignored a raft advice, including from her own Department, which urged legislation as the best way to ensure the greatest protection for children.
"Despite these reports, the Department has actively courted the alcohol and advertising industries to subvert these recommendations," Mr Barry said.
"It is a truly shameful episode in the history of the Department of Health and Children," said Dr Barry.
Ms Harney said today that she did not favour legislation, but that if the voluntary code was not proving successful then she would have "no hesitation" bringing forward the Alcohol Products Bill being drafted.
"But I think there will be huge peer pressure on everybody that has signed up to this, which is everybody that markets drinks in Ireland to make sure they conform to the code," Ms Harney said.
Broadcasters in the independent sector are also developing a code of conduct. Advertising and sponsorship involving alcohol products will be banned from programmes that have a youth listenership of more than 33 per cent, and broadcasters are to avoid making associations between excessive drinking and enjoyment.