RCNI commend USI decision to break links with alcohol industry’s Drinkaware promotion as announced today
RCNI commend USI decision to break links with alcohol industry’s Drinkaware promotion as announced today.
Fiona Neary, RCNI Director said, ‘The promotion of alcohol consumption by drinkaware was rightly recognised by the Union of Students in Ireland as a normalising influence which strongly targets young people. USI’s leadership in this area is vital given the resources the alcohol industry can call upon to resist change to reduce alcohol harm in Ireland. A significant alcohol harm is the prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland for example, the Rape and Justice in Ireland report (2009) found that 77% of the suspects in rape cases that the DPP examined had been drinking on the day of the offence.
‘It is important that organisations and those in authority make considered decisions about how and to what extent to engage in promoting a drinking culture in Ireland. For the RCNI, alcohol harm is such that the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group, including minimum pricing and controlling alcohol sports sponsorship, is urgently required.’