IT’S time to show the red card to drinks companies’ sponsorship of sporting events, according to Catholic bishops.And the Church leaders on both sides of the border have also called for tougher measures to stamp out drink driving and drug abuse.
It is a fallacy to assert that social life in Ireland happens only in conjunction with alcohol consumption, Bishop Éamonn Walsh told a cross-border seminar on the misuse of alcohol and the scourge of illicit drugs.
Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor said there had been a 50% hike in the number of professionals and executives seeking cocaine treatment between 2005 and 2008.
Bishop Walsh, vice chairman of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs and Alcohol Initiative (IBDI), said at national level action must be taken to confront seriously the misuse of alcohol and illegal drugs and their negative influence on our culture.
The IBDI supports the Road Safety Authority’s call to "never ever drink and drive", he stressed. "Public policy at an all-island level should be coordinated, consistent and reflect the seriousness of this issue. It is necessary to reduce the alcohol/blood level to 50mg, north and south.
"The IBDI is also campaigning against all advertising of alcohol. As a priority alcohol should not be a sponsor of sporting events or sporting organisations. Such a bold move would have financial implications for drink companies, sporting organisations and the revenue authorities, however the status quo is simply not a sustainable option," Bishop Walsh said.
"We all have a responsibility to address the issue of rural life style such as isolation, sadness and despair. It is a fallacy to assert that social life in Ireland happens only in conjunction with alcohol consumption.
"The sensible consumption of alcohol could be supported through neighbourliness and common sense. We must be creative by, for example, providing for local transport or by designating drivers in advance," he said.
Yesterday’s seminar coincided with the launch of an information pack for parishes about coping with the problems of drink and drug abuse. As a priority, alcohol should not be a sponsor of sporting events or sporting organisations, the handbook states.
Meanwhile, eight out of 10 motorists believe that a zero alcohol limit behind the wheel should be introduced, far more than their EU counterparts.
A new survey shows that 83% of Irish drivers think a zero alcohol limit would be a good idea, versus an EU average of 68%. This is one of the key findings from the second pan-European road behaviour survey carried out by AXA Insurance.
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