Alcohol abuse is a social evil ruining the lives of young people in Ireland, church leaders said today.
A new Church of Ireland report has demanded action to stem the epidemic among young Irish people, the highest per-capita consumers in the EU.
Alcohol in the life of Young Peoplewas unveiled in Belfast today by the Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames. It was compiled by the Church's Social Justice and Theology Panel, which said it did not want to preach to youth but wanted to emphasise that young people can have fuller lives without drunkenness.
"The report looks at how we can educate young people about the effects of over-indulgence in alcohol and how people in other countries are tackling the same issues," said Dean Gordon Wynne, the panel chairman.
Dr Eames said that alcohol abuse contributed daily to road fatalities and injuries, anti-social behaviour on our streets, family break-ups and poor health.
"For young people, alcohol misuse is now a stark reality and is accepted as a way of life for far too many," he said. "Society can no longer wipe its hands of responsibility through simple condemnation of the alcohol culture among our youth.
"Far more needs to be done to understand what contributes to the rapid rise in teenage drinking. . . . The Church must come to terms with this social evil and take every opportunity to encourage the full understanding of the problem.
"Society as a whole must recognise the danger and the consequences for a new generation of young people of the misuse of alcohol."
Today's report will be circulated to all Church of Ireland parishes on the island.
PA