Excessive Drinking Linked To Athletic Events In Ireland

According to the Irish Examiner, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland plans to welcome the current government's proposition to cut down on the "excessive consumption of alcohol in Ireland."

The group supports these new restrictions based on the growth of alcohol-related illness and death due to drinking alcohol. Although the article does not go into specifics, the World Health Organization noted that over the past decade, the number of cancers relating to alcohol and the reported cases of alcohol poisoning directly mirrors the increase in alcohol consumption.

Describing this pattern as "catastrophic," Professor Frank Murray links this unfortunate situation with the relationship between alcohol and Irish sports events.  There has been research worldwide reinforcing this idea that if alcoholic beverages are promoted at athletic games, young people will be more likely to consume or drink more than a healthy amount. And of course, there's the issue of advertising dollars from alcoholic beverage companies: if companies promoting alcoholic beverages are banned from advertising at athletic events, how will this effect revenue?

Another factor may be the lower drinking age in Ireland. Unlike the U.S., which prohibits drinking under the age of 21, Ireland, gives its citizens alcohol rights at age 18. Although the Irish alcohol laws, and culture as a whole, seem to be a bit more lax than the United States, it does not stop the threat of excessive drinking.