Alcohol awareness programmes

Information

There is a range of programmes that aim to educate people about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and promote a responsible attitude to alcohol.

The Responsible Serving of Alcohol programme

The Responsible Serving of Alcohol programme is a training programme for publicans and bar staff to help them deal with problems such as drunkenness, underage drinking and drinking and driving. The programme was originally operated by the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health, in conjunction with the Vintners Federation of Ireland. However, Fáilte Ireland, the government body for training and development in the hospitality and tourism industry, has now taken over its operation. The Responsible Serving of Alcohol Programme encourages publicans and people serving alcohol to the public to be pro-active in dealing with irresponsible alcohol consumption. This includes not serving customers who are already drunk, asking young customers to show Age Cards as proof of age and organising alternative means of transport for drivers who may be over the legal limit. The training itself consists of a three-hour workshop and each participant is awarded a certificate of completion. Anyone interested in applying to this programme should contact Fáilte Ireland directly.

The Framework for Developing a College Alcohol Programme

According to the Framework document, the primary aim of any college alcohol policy is to limit the damage that can be caused by alcohol abuse. To this end, it is recommended that all colleges provide adequate support services for those who have difficulties with alcohol. The education of staff and students about the realities of alcohol and the dangers of its misuse should also form part of a college's policy, as should responsible serving of alcohol in college bars.

One of the most important areas for colleges to address is the issue of drink sponsorship and drink advertising on campuses. Traditionally, events organised by college societies and clubs and student unions have been heavily sponsored by breweries. Representatives appointed by breweries often operate on campus, looking for promotional opportunities and responding to requests for sponsorship, generally in the form of kegs and sometimes money. College authorities are now being asked to regulate this situation and find alternative sponsorship for social and sporting events. For example, all clubs in University College Cork are now sponsored by a centralised fund by a single major company, eliminating brewery and alcohol sponsorships in the college totally. Many other colleges have banned posters promising free or cheap drink, events that promote irresponsible drinking and promotion of spirits on campus.

It is possible for colleges to ask breweries to pay a fee to access the market in the college, in the same way as banks do.

The National Alcohol and Injuries Survey

A National Alcohol and Injuries Survey is being operated in the Accident and Emergency departments of six hospitals around the country. The Mater Hospital and Beaumont in Dublin, Waterford Regional Hospital, Galway Regional Hospital, Sligo General Hospital and Letterkenny Hospital. This study will measure the incidence of alcohol-related injuries that are treated in Accident and Emergency departments and will help hospitals improve their response to these injuries.

The impact of alcohol advertising on teenagers in Ireland.

Recently, the Department of Health commissioned the Centre for Health Promotion Studies, University College Galway, in partnership with the National Alcohol Surveillance Project, to examine the impact of alcohol advertising on teenagers. Groups of young people were asked what their favourite ads were and why. Alcohol ads were predominantly popular among the groups and young people felt that the advertisers were appealing directly to their general age group. The report recommends that the exposure of children and adolescents to alcohol advertising in Ireland be significantly reduced. Furthermore, it finds that the alcohol advertising codes are in need of reform, especially with regard to placement of such ads and effective monitoring.

The report also recommended that product information should not be misleading (i.e., some brands calling themselves "light" when they still have a significant alcohol content) and that safety messages and/or health warnings should be a part of alcohol advertisements. The report finished with a recommendation that general and alcohol-specific media literacy training should be available in schools to allow young people to develop a sense of judgement about advertising.

Advertising of alcohol

The advertising of alcohol is currently under review by an inter-departmental group, with a view to introducing legislation governing the area. At the moment, the advertising of alcohol is self-regulated. The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI), broadcasters and the drinks industry themselves have their own codes of practice about how alcohol should be advertised.

As well as developing their code of practice for advertising alcohol, the Drinks Industry Group has recently initiated a copy clearance process, which reviews all alcohol ads from the conceptual stage to completion. Any ad found to be in breach of the various codes of practice for alcohol advertising must be withdrawn. The panel is staffed by senior advertising industry figures in association with the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) and the Association of Advertisers in Ireland (AAI).

RTE, as a public service broadcaster, also operates its own controls on ads for alcohol. RTE will not carry any ads for spirits on either of its two television stations or any of its radio stations. While alcohol can be advertised all day on RTE1 television, no alcohol ads are shown on RTE 2 until after 7.30pm. This reflects the primarily underage audience for the second station. In certain circumstances, RTE will make a decision not to show alcohol ads on RTE1, for example, if a children's film is being shown. However, the placement and timing of ads is frequently left to the discretion of the drinks companies themselves and this is where the role of self-regulation comes into play. Not all independent broadcasters have their own specific codes of practice, but they all abide by the ASAI's advertising standards.

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland was set up and is financed by the advertising industry to monitor standards of advertising. The ASAI has developed Codes of Advertising Standards for a number of areas, including alcohol. Every ad selling alcohol must adhere to these codes. ASAI monitors ads to make sure they do not breach the relevant codes and accepts complaints from public about the content of ads.

No-Name Clubs

The No-Name Club is an organisation that tries to offer young people a social outlet that is free from alcohol and drugs. No-Name Clubs can be found around the country and cater for those in the 15-18 age group. They receive some funding from the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health. The clubs are designed to give young people the chance to develop their organisational and social skills through their involvement in various activities. Most clubs organise their own discos and sports activities and many get involved with other community groups, like groups for older people or people with disabilities.

Ultimately, it is hoped that the increased confidence and life skills of the young people involved in these clubs will make them less susceptible to peer pressure and thus less likely to indulge in binge drinking or other kinds of destructive behaviours.