Fionnuala Sheehan of the Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (MEAS) responds to last week's column on drink advertising and puts forward suggestions on curbing the problem of excessive alcohol abuse
Over the past four years, since its establishment, MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society) has robustly demonstrated its commitment to its mandate to promote social responsibility within the industry and moderate consumption by those who choose to drink, in order to reduce alcohol abuse and related harm.
It is no puppet organisation and has, for instance, taken action against drinks manufacturers and retailers under its detailed Code of Practice on the marketing and promotion of alcohol.
MEAS has also pioneered significant research here in Ireland on alcohol, as well as providing a forum through its annual Alcohol and Society conference where important research in relation to alcohol use and misuse in Ireland and other jurisdictions is explored and debated.
At the most recent MEAS conference, the widely held view that problems resulting from alcohol will decline proportionately, or even at a relatively greater rate, as the average amount of alcohol per person in a society is reduced, was challenged by a respected expert from New Zealand.
New Zealand has had apparent success in managing to reduce consumption (especially of beer). For example, people there now drink 25 per cent less beer per capita than they did 10 years ago. But since some of the major problems associated with alcohol persist, it appears that while people there are drinking less frequently, they are drinking the same amount (or even more) on a given occasion.
This has resulted in the relevant expert, Dr Mike McAvoy, head of the country's alcohol advisory council, concluding that "it's not the drink that is the problem, it's how we drink".
Speakers at the conference challenged the widespread belief that the scale and escalation of problems associated with alcohol are so great that nothing can be done to address them. However, the clear evidence is that a variety of initiatives both here in Ireland and elsewhere have yielded excellent results.
What is very clear, however, is that success, firstly, requires careful planning and selection of targets over a number of years; secondly, the level of implementation of a programme is as important as the ideas behind the programme, and, thirdly, that careful evaluation can help other communities to learn from what has been achieved.
Furthermore, careful analysis of a range of successful initiatives suggests that intervention has more than one component; that there is a need to take vested interests on board (including the drinks industry) to let them see that they can gain from their involvement; and that successful interventions need to take into account the existing culture in which alcohol is consumed.
Here in Ireland, an example of a very innovative community initiative aimed at tackling public order problems associated with drink abuse is an initiative called Cork City Cares.
Cork City Cares is a small strategic group reflecting public and private interests, including the gardaí, health authorities and the drinks industry, who came together to identify, develop and monitor sustainable initiatives and measures that would complement the city's Public Order Policing Model of 2002 to build a robust and safe city.
Currently the project is a work-in-progress, the aim of which is to deliver a programme of initiatives, communications and networks that focuses on best practice, continual improvement and community responsibility in the promotion, management and development of the Cork city centre night-time environment and economy.
Attention was drawn to interesting international studies in relation to responsible serving of alcohol in licensed premises. One of the most promising findings relates to responsible beverage service training. These programmes focus on the responsibility of bar staff and management to prevent people getting drunk, the need for knowledge about alcohol and its effects, and legal liability in relation to alcohol serving.
The idea of doing "something" about alcohol problems is widespread in all forms of debate. The research in this area, however, shows the absolute necessity to be clear about the desired outcome, and how it should be brought about.
Improvements in relation to drink driving are among the major successes in the prevention of alcohol-associated problems. This topic is particularly relevant to us in Ireland at present. Drunk-drivers represent a high percentage of fatal accidents (estimates vary between 10 per cent and 40 per cent).
The evidence suggests that a number of features of law enforcement are especially effective. The indications are that the enforcement of the law in relation to drink driving may be more important than the severity of punishment. Secondly, the certainty that drivers believe they will be caught is a major factor in changing behaviour.
Fionnuala Sheehan is chief executive of MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society).