From the Editor ....
Ban Cheap Booze Properly and Intelligently
Alcohol is an addictive drug, like it or not, that’s the reality. As with all addictive substances there are bad aspects, but unlike the other majority, and rather unique to alcohol, here we have a drug that also yields many important positives for society – there is good with the bad.
Properly controlled and responsibly served, alcohol is an enjoyable substance and one that has a valuable place in society. After all, we talk of enjoying a pint for a very good reason, it allows individuals to come together in a meaningful way. The pub, first and foremost, is a place to gather, a place to be sociable, it is a hub for community interaction. The pub is a place where all are welcome and where you will find characters from all walks of life, content to sit together under the one roof. As such, love it or hate it, the pub fulfils a very real need in Irish society for a place of acceptance, banter and social interaction. That is an incredible thing, and for those who are still wondering, that is why Lonely Planet has just named the Irish pub – again – as the number one tourist attraction we have. It’s not the loos, it’s not the food, it’s not even getting in out of the rain, it’s the social power of the Irish pub that mesmerises tourists and leaves then in admiration of such a community integrated environment.
It should also be pointed out that alcohol is a major Irish employer too,both directly and indirectly. As well as being part of our manufacturing industry, alcohol is an incredibly successful international attraction, we’ve mentioned the pub, but also consider the tourist pulling power of the Guinness Storehouse, which receives over one million visitors each year, then there’s the rapidly growing Jameson Distillery in Dublin’s Smithfield, and the beauty of the Midelton Distillery in Cork.
Yet of course there is a flip side to this coin, alcohol can be a powerfully destructive force – and because of this it must be harnessed to minimize its negative effects on society. In other words, alcohol needs to be controlled, properly priced and responsibly served at all times. One of the greatest sins perpetrated against Irish society in recent years was by the former Government who refused to listen to advice and allowed alcohol to become a below-cost product.
The full damage this bull-headed approach has done to society is not yet known, but already we have seen a huge shift in how younger generations perceive alcohol. Alcohol to them is a cheap product, that can be bulk purchased and consumed in large quantities at home before going out. Such perceptions should never have been allowed to develop. However, the opportunity is there for the current Government to reverse, if not the damage then at least the trend. Alcohol should never be used as an ‘attraction’ to get customers to come to a store, it should not be, to coin a term, a ‘footfall driver’. To purchase alcohol identification should be mandatory, no excuses, full stop. Minimum pricing of alcohol is needed in this country, but it must be approached properly and with forethought. Reports have already suggested a possible link between pricing and alcohol content, however such an approach could be easily overcome by a lowering of the ABV. Consumers are unlikely to care or give much attention to 3.4% ABV as opposed to 4.3% if the price is right. If Roisin Shortall TD, Minister of State, Department of Health, is serious in her intentions to tackle these issues, as she has indicated, then let’s hope she takes such considerations on-board. She has an opportunity to make a meaningful change to Irish society and for the better, we wait with bated breath.
Nigel Tynan
Editor
Email Nigel Tynan - Editor
Ban Cheap Booze Properly and Intelligently
Alcohol is an addictive drug, like it or not, that’s the reality. As with all addictive substances there are bad aspects, but unlike the other majority, and rather unique to alcohol, here we have a drug that also yields many important positives for society – there is good with the bad.Properly controlled and responsibly served, alcohol is an enjoyable substance and one that has a valuable place in society. After all, we talk of enjoying a pint for a very good reason, it allows individuals to come together in a meaningful way. The pub, first and foremost, is a place to gather, a place to be sociable, it is a hub for community interaction. The pub is a place where all are welcome and where you will find characters from all walks of life, content to sit together under the one roof. As such, love it or hate it, the pub fulfils a very real need in Irish society for a place of acceptance, banter and social interaction. That is an incredible thing, and for those who are still wondering, that is why Lonely Planet has just named the Irish pub – again – as the number one tourist attraction we have. It’s not the loos, it’s not the food, it’s not even getting in out of the rain, it’s the social power of the Irish pub that mesmerises tourists and leaves then in admiration of such a community integrated environment.
It should also be pointed out that alcohol is a major Irish employer too,both directly and indirectly. As well as being part of our manufacturing industry, alcohol is an incredibly successful international attraction, we’ve mentioned the pub, but also consider the tourist pulling power of the Guinness Storehouse, which receives over one million visitors each year, then there’s the rapidly growing Jameson Distillery in Dublin’s Smithfield, and the beauty of the Midelton Distillery in Cork.
Yet of course there is a flip side to this coin, alcohol can be a powerfully destructive force – and because of this it must be harnessed to minimize its negative effects on society. In other words, alcohol needs to be controlled, properly priced and responsibly served at all times. One of the greatest sins perpetrated against Irish society in recent years was by the former Government who refused to listen to advice and allowed alcohol to become a below-cost product.
The full damage this bull-headed approach has done to society is not yet known, but already we have seen a huge shift in how younger generations perceive alcohol. Alcohol to them is a cheap product, that can be bulk purchased and consumed in large quantities at home before going out. Such perceptions should never have been allowed to develop. However, the opportunity is there for the current Government to reverse, if not the damage then at least the trend. Alcohol should never be used as an ‘attraction’ to get customers to come to a store, it should not be, to coin a term, a ‘footfall driver’. To purchase alcohol identification should be mandatory, no excuses, full stop. Minimum pricing of alcohol is needed in this country, but it must be approached properly and with forethought. Reports have already suggested a possible link between pricing and alcohol content, however such an approach could be easily overcome by a lowering of the ABV. Consumers are unlikely to care or give much attention to 3.4% ABV as opposed to 4.3% if the price is right. If Roisin Shortall TD, Minister of State, Department of Health, is serious in her intentions to tackle these issues, as she has indicated, then let’s hope she takes such considerations on-board. She has an opportunity to make a meaningful change to Irish society and for the better, we wait with bated breath.
Nigel Tynan
Editor
Email Nigel Tynan - Editor