A doctors’ group has called for an immediate ban on alcohol sports sponsorship.
“We need to sever the link between alcohol and sports for once and for all,” said Ray Walley, president of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO). “As a country, we can’t continue to be indifferent to the damage being done by young people by the scourge of alcohol.”
The IMO has published a position paper on addiction and dependency that addresses a wide range of issues, including prevention and treatment issues.
Dr Walley said the document, which also calls for the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol, should have cross-party support in the Dáil.
“IMO doctors are calling for sensible and workable measures to loosen the grip that substance abuse and addiction had on large tracts of society,” said Dr Walley.
IMO member and consultant psychiatrist Matthew Sadlier said everyone in Ireland knew somebody affected by alcohol or drugs.
“If we had a policy that actually treated the root cause, that would be incredibly effective,” he said.
Dr Sadlier said there were 67 deaths every month due to alcohol dependency.
Source: Evelyn Ring, Irish Examiner, 12/06/15
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