A Western Health Board alcohol addiction counsellor is calling on the GAA and other sporting associations to forbid underage presentations in pubs or anywhere else that alcohol is served. Mr Joe Tracey thinks underage cups should be sealed so they cannot be filled with alcohol.
Mr Tracey has been calling on the Government to enshrine the advertising standards codes into law to prohibit the advertising of alcohol near schools, which was happening in Galway.
He was delighted to receive a commitment this week from Pat Barry of the drinks industry that an offending Guinness poster - which has been erected close to a community college on the east side of the city - would be taken down and would not happen again.
Mr Tracey had raised the matter with Mr Barry on RTÉ last week after the controversial Prime Time programme on alcohol abuse among young people in Ireland. "One very positive aspect of the Prime Time programme is that the Drinks Industry have given the commitment now to move away from their aggressive and slick targeting of young people," he said.
Mr Tracey wants the drinks industry - which will earn €100 million in profit this year - to pay for the training of bar staff under the servers law so they would not serve young people.
"When we have the drinks industry and the health boards on board, we will have to get the final piece of the jigsaw on board, the parents. Young people find it difficult to be admonished for drinking when they see the drinking pattern of their parents. Until parents take responsibility, there is no point lashing out at the drinks industry."
He said a Galway District Court judge complained about the number of drink-related cases coming before him and Mr Tracey says the judiciary need to hand out tougher sentences for such offences.
