seminar in conjunction with - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

seminar in conjunction with Depaul Ireland 13.03.13

Fiona RyanAlcohol Action Irelandwww.alcoholireland.ie

Alcohol in Ireland: An OverviewSlide2

Alcohol Action IrelandEstablished in 2003/ work to create awareness of alcohol-related harm and solutions need to reduce that harmRun www.alcoholireland.ie and www.drinkhelp.ie

Steering group of National Substance Misuse StrategyCampaign: minimum pricing – 30 strong NGO coalition in support Campaign: children affected by parental alcohol problemsSlide3

How much do we drink? 1Alcohol consumption in Ireland increased by 46% between 1987 (9.8 litres) and 2001 (14.3 litres)Alcohol consumption in 2011-2012 was around 11.6 litres –

the equivalent of every person aged 15+ drinking over 42 bottles of vodkaOne in five adults do not drink alcohol

If every drinker aged 18+ drank to their maximum low-risk weekly limits, every week of the year, consumption levels would be approx 9 litresSlide4

How much do we drink? 2Over half of all Irish drinkers report harmful patterns of drinking; 4 out of

10 women drinkers and 7 out of 10 men who drink. (Alcohol Use in Ireland, SLAN

2007)ESPAD 2011 survey (average age 15):

One in four schoolchildren reported being drunk in the past month, this being the third highest rate of drunkenness of the 35 countries.

Report from Department of Children/ State of the Nation’s Children/ quotes HBSC 2010/ small decline in children first trying drinking but numbers getting drunk consistent with ESPAD Slide5

Harms to HealthEvery seven hours, someone in Ireland dies from an alcohol-related illness: there are almost twice as many deaths due to alcohol as due to all other drugs combinedAlcoholic liver disease deaths almost trebled (188% increase) between 1995 and 2009. Figures also reveal considerable increases of alcohol liver disease among younger age groups

Among 15-34 years olds, the rate of ALD discharges increased by 275%, while for the 35-49 age group, the rate increased by 227%These increases suggests we are starting to see the effects of the large increases in alcohol consumption up to 2003Alcohol-related admissions to acute hospitals doubled between 1995 and 2008Slide6

The economic costs - €3.7 bnThe burden of most acute alcoholrelated problems arises frompeople who drink heavily on

occasionHealth care costs = €1.2bnCriminal justice = €1.2bnRoad collisions = €526mLost output due to work absences = €330m

To the taxpayer = €3,318To the shopper - cheap alcohol canbe subsidised by increasing

price of other goodsSlide7

Harm to others - the human costs1 in 11 children living with parental alcohol problemsOne third of domestic abuse cases involve alcohol

Almost half of perpetrators of homicide intoxicated1 in 11 people said they or family member had been assaulted by person drinkingSlide8

1 in 11 children – 100,000 children1 in 11 children living with parental alcohol problems: enough children to fill Croke Park

One in 7 kids in care due to parental substance misuse problemsOne in 9 kids witnessed parental conflict due to alcohol during childhoodSlide9

Alcohol and ParentingProblems for parents are problems for childrenParental alcohol problems can and do cause serious harm to childrenChildren often suffer the impacts of parental alcohol and drug problems long before their parent’s health suffers

Each dependent user of alcohol will negatively effect the lives of two other close family membersSlide10

How many children?One in eleven Irish children say parental drinking has a negative effect on their lives – that’s 109,684 children (ISPCC, 2010)A nationally representative survey of 18-40 year olds found that when parents drank weekly or more often:

14% said they often felt afraid or unsafe as a result of their parents’ drinking14% said they often witnessed conflict between their parents either when they were drinking or as a result of their drinking11% said they often had to take responsibility for a parent or a sibling

Impact did not differ according to socio-economic class (Alcohol Action Ireland Keeping It In the Family Survey, 2009)Slide11

Impact on childrenIsolationFear and AnxietyConflict in the HomeChildren take on Parental ResponsibilitiesAbuse and Neglect

PovertyTrauma and distress result when “caregivers not only fail to provide comfort at times of extreme stress, but are themselves the principal source of that stress”Slide12

Seeing and hearing children“They care more about drink than their children.”“When they are drunk they are in fighting mood.”“He hits me in my sleep when he drinks.”“It puts you off your work in school as you’re thinking about it.”

“I don’t get to go anywhere or have fun the next day because I’m minding my brothers.”“It upsets me sometimes – I’m scared at times as well.”Slide13

Solutions? Alcohol Policy in Ireland11 committees, 15 reports1990 Working Group on Alcohol Policy1996 National Alcohol Policy1996

Oireachtas Committee on Licensing2000 Commission on Liquor Licensing2002 Strategic Task Force on AlcoholOireachtas Committees on Health, Arts, Sports

2005 Sustaining Progress 2007 Government Advisory Group on Alcohol2009 Working Group on Sports Sponsorship by the Alcohol Industry2011 National Substance Misuse Strategy

2011

Oireachtas

Committee on HealthSlide14

Alcohol Policy in Ireland – which way?Successive Irish governments have consistently pursued policies shown to be ineffective in reducing alcohol-related harms and costs

No national alcohol policyPricingAbolition of Groceries Order 2006Only three increases in excise since 1994Budget 201o cut excise on alcohol by 20%

Budget 2013 restored it/ additional increase on wineAvailabilityIncreased opening hoursFree movement of licencesSlide15

NSMS RecommendationsEstablish a Clinical Directorate to develop the clinical and organisational governance framework to underpin treatment and rehabilitation servicesDevelop early intervention guidelines for alcohol and substance use across all relevant sectors of the health and social care system. This will include a national screening and brief intervention protocol for early identification of problem alcohol useSlide16

NSMS RecommendationsIncrease the price of alcohol so that it becomes less affordableIntroduce legislative basis for minimum pricing, along with a ‘social responsibility’ levy on the drinks industryCommence Section 9 (structural separation of alcohol from other products in supermarkets, etc) of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008

Introduce legislation and statutory codes to provide for: a 9.00 p.m. watershed for alcohol advertising on television and radio alcohol advertising in cinemas to only be associated with films classified as being suitable for over-18s prohibition of all outdoor advertising of alcohol

all alcohol advertising in the print media to be subject to stringent codes, enshrined in legislation and independently monitoredSlide17

NSMS Recommendations: Treatment and Rehabilitation (12-14)12. Develop comprehensive outcomes and evidence based approach to addressing needs of children and families experiencing alcohol dependency problems. This would involve a

whole family approach, including the provision of supports and services directly to children where necessaryThis approach should be guided by and co-ordinated with all existing strategies relating to parenting, children and families and in accordance with edicts from the Office for the Minister for Children

and the Child & Family Agency13. Explore extent of parental problem substance use through the development of a strategy similar to

Hidden Harm in Northern Ireland

and respond to the needs of children by bringing together all concerned organisations and services

14. Develop

family support services

Slide18

NSMS – where next?Widespread opposition in Government to advertising and sponsorship restrictionsMinimum pricing has been progressing in Scotland and England – to mixed success

Department of Justice deliberating on Section 9 Department of Health will draft an action plan and this will be submitted Cabinet for approval