Madam, - The Oireachtas Committee on Health has published a report which concludes that alcohol use is a major contributor to suicide (The Irish Times, July 6th).
The chair of the committee suggested that the drinks industry should be encouraged to finance some suicide prevention initiatives. This is a staggering idea. The Government does not need to appeal to the moral sensibilities of the drinks industry. It has at its disposal a more direct method of obtaining money from the sale of alcohol. It is called tax. Increased tax on alcohol could fund a great deal of suicide prevention work.
Additionally, national and international research conclusively demonstrates that raising tax on alcohol is one of the most effective methods of reducing alcohol consumption. Reduced alcohol consumption will result in reduced suicide.
While this Government has been repeatedly advised to increase tax on alcohol in report after report on alcohol-related harm, it has consistently ignored the advice. In fact, in the last Budget, the Government decided to keep tax on alcohol static. When one allows for inflation, this means that alcohol taxation is being reduced in real terms. This policy is fuelling our national alcohol consumption and consequently fuelling suicide, along with a multitude of other harms. - Yours, etc,
Dr BOBBY SMYTH, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Trinity College, Dublin 2.