Madam, - Tom Humphreys's piece about alcohol sponsorship of sports events is undoubtedly a "stout defence" - in so far as it rehearses familiar arguments from the drinks industry.
He suggests that the purpose of alcohol advertising targeted at young people is to influence brand preference rather than to increase overall consumption levels and that the link with sport is of value in setting alcohol consumption in context within the broader fabric of our social, recreational and cultural lives.
He misinterprets the views and motives of those of us who oppose alcohol industry sponsorship of sports events. Our concerns are not based on a desire for some form of prohibition or to divorce alcohol from other aspects of our lives or those of our children. In Ireland we have high average alcohol consumption levels relative to other countries, especially among young people, and we have seen substantial per capita increases in alcohol consumption over the past decade.
Sports sponsorship is an extremely effective form of alcohol advertising, designed to increase average consumption levels in the population as a whole and especially among young people. There is substantial empirical evidence to show that small increases in average alcohol consumption produce disproportionate increases in the prevalence of heavy problem drinking in the population. Thus if we are happy to tolerate continued sponsorship of sporting events, including Gaelic football, hurling and other major sports, the consequences are entirely predictable.
The long-term health and social effects of alcohol are well known. However, in the context of advertising targeted at young people we should also consider short-term effects, including the clear links between alcohol consumption and the major causes of death in young people: road traffic accidents and suicide. - Yours, etc.,
IVAN J. PERRY, MD, Ph.D.,
Department of Epidemiology
and Public Health,
University College Cork.