Sir, – The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland published its policy paper on alcohol last week, because of our growing concern at the illness and death being caused to Irish people by alcohol. We fully support the recommendations of the National Substance Misuse Strategy (NSMS) steering group, published by the Department of Health 14 months ago, and wish to see them implemented without any further delay.
Fionnuala Sheehan, of MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society) in her letter (April 26th), highlighted the need for all stakeholders, including government, the alcohol industry, and organisations such as RCPI, to work together to address the issue of alcohol abuse. In fact, the NSMS steering group was comprised of multiple stakeholders including representatives from the alcohol industry, and as such the steering group report reflects a multi-stakeholder assessment of the situation with respect to alcohol harm.
The only dissenting voices to efforts to improve matters and implement the recommendations of the NSMS steering group report have come from various sectors of the alcohol industry.
We in RCPI reiterate our call for action and look forward to working together with health and other social care bodies in the coming months and years to shape alcohol policy in Ireland, while simultaneously dealing with the very considerable damage that alcohol is causing our people.
We would caution against relying on the alcohol industry campaigns to reduce alcohol harm. MEAS and its website drinkaware.ie are funded by the alcohol industry. According to the World Health Organisation, industry-funded campaigns do not have a notable impact on consumption or health outcome. Indeed, industry-funded campaigns are vulnerable to conflicts of interest. Instead there is an urgent need for more effective remedies, such as minimum unit pricing and restrictions on availability and advertising.
We fundamentally agree with the director general of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, who pointed out last week that “the alcohol industry has no role in the formulation of alcohol policies, which must be protected from distortion by commercial or vested interests”. – Yours, etc,
Prof FRANK MURRAY,
Prof JOE BARRY, Prof
AIDEN McCORMICK &
Dr STEVEN STEWART,
Royal College of Physicians
of Ireland Policy Group on
Alcohol,
South Frederick Street,
Dublin 2.