The consumption of alcohol is spiralling out of control. This is particularly true where young people are concerned. Hard evidence to that effect will be published next Tuesday, when Ireland will formally top the European league for under-aged drinking. It is a terrible situation. But neither citizens, members of the Garda Siochana nor Government Ministers can pretend to be surprised by it. In recent years, the evidence has become increasingly visible in public houses and nightclubs throughout the State. The licensing laws governing the sale of alcohol to persons under 18 years are a sad, pathetic joke. And those who pretend otherwise are nothing but hypocrites.
Successive governments have failed to adopt a robust response to this creeping malaise. Cowardice in the face of one of the most powerful political lobby groups in the country - the vintners - may be partly to blame. But there has also been an unwillingness to interfere in an area of traditional parental responsibility. And there have been considerations in relation to distillers, brewers and advertising interests to be taken into account.
The time has now come, however, to put such considerations aside if society is to be protected. Two years ago, an Eastern Health Board survey found that almost 80 per cent of boys and 65 per cent of girls in the 15-18 year age groups drank at least once a month. Next week's EU figures are expected to show a worsening of that situation, with underage girls now drinking as much as boys. Binge drinking, or drinking to get drunk, is a particularly worrying phenomenon.
Launching a national alcohol awareness campaign in Dublin yesterday, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, warned that the new EU statistics would be shocking. We had to stop kidding ourselves, he said, and face up to the reality of our national alcohol problem.
It's a bit rich for the Minister to lecture the public on the need to face up to reality. His own Department and the Government have ducked their responsibilities since taking office. The trend towards under-age drinking has not led to the strict enforcement of licensing laws. Nor has it resulted in a ban on the advertising and promotion of alcohol. And the decision by Mr Martin to link his concern about under-age drinking to the deregulation of the licensed trade was extraordinary. His stance was obviously designed to curry political favour with the vintners who are resisting competition.
But what has competition to do with under-age drinking, especially when deregulated Europe has lower levels of consumption? It might have been more productive to seek a reduction in the 300/400 per cent profit margin on soft drinks in such premises.
It would be wrong to suggest the Government has done nothing in relation to under-age drinking. The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, introduced a voluntary National Age Card scheme, run by the Garda Siochana, in April of 1999. The card is accepted as evidence of identity by vintners and other liquor sellers and costs £5. But the take-up has been small. Only 23,000 cards have been issued to young people out of a potential market of about 340,000 - less than a 7 per cent success rate. It is clear that more needs to be done, and quickly. Strict enforcement of the law, and the phasing out of alcohol promotions and advertising, would be a good start.