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Topic quick links:
Cover page
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All articles in this issue:
 EU National Drug Co-ordinators meet in Dublin
 Annual review of the drug situation in Europe
 How are the children?
 The President gets young people talking...
 ...and the Minister replies
 Young people appeal for a more inclusive society
 Guidelines for promoting mental health and suicide prevention in post-primary schools
 Healthy Ireland - implementation matters
 Launch of Galway City alcohol strategy
 Government policy on long-term homelessness
 INCB annual report 2012
 Education, addiction services and workforce development
 Alcohol Forum national conference
 Legal proceedings for drug offences 2004–2011
 Recent publications
 Upcoming events
 Ireland’s 7th EU Presidency and drug policy
 Commission on Narcotic Drugs meets for 56th Session
 Irish and Portuguese drug policies profiled
Alcohol Forum national conference
by Deirdre Mongan

As part of National Alcohol Awareness Week, which took place from 18–22 March, the Alcohol Forum hosted a conference in the Convention Centre, Dublin, on 20 March entitled The Power of Local Community in Reducing Harmful Drinking.  Pat Harvey, Chairman of the Alcohol Forum provided the opening address and outlined the costs associated with alcohol-related harm in Ireland. He spoke about the influence of the alcohol industry, describing it as ‘a “Goliath” in terms of muscle and funds nurturing a society that has alcohol consumption at dangerous and harmful levels’.  He called on the government to implement the National Substance Misuse Strategy as a matter of urgency.1 

Photo - Alcohol Forum conference.jpg

Minister Alex White TD with Alcohol Forum chairman Pat Harvey at the opening of the converence (photo by Conor O'Mearain)

Mr Alex While TD, Minister of State for Primary Care, opened the conference and spoke about the power of community and the need to mobilise communities, schools, sports and law enforcement and to pool resources. He said that the alcohol problem in Ireland was too big and too entrenched to be dealt with on an individual or even a community level and that, despite the arguments being made against every single measure that has been proposed, some form of regulation was necessary. He confirmed that the government was considering the measures contained in the Steering Group report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy and would announce its conclusions and decisions shortly.2

Other speakers included Dr Ann Hope, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin; Dr  Walter Kern Scheffeldt, Clinical Psychologist, Zurich University of Teacher Education; Anne Timony, Community Mobilisation Officer with the Alcohol Forum; and Claire Dineen, Chair of the National Forum of the Family Resource Centre Programme.  There was also a ‘Soapbox’ session where speakers were given three minutes to present their arguments on how to effect changes. The participants in this session were Fiona Ryan, CEO, Alcohol Action Ireland; John Waters, Irish Times columnist; John Logue, President of the Union of Students in Ireland; Denis Bradley, former Vice Chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board; and Eamon O’Kane, Director of Derry Healthy Cities.

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1. Alcohol Forum (2013, 20 March) Alcohol Forum challenges government, the drinks industry & parents. News item posted on the Alcohol Forum website. Accessed 8 May 2013 at www.alcoholforum.org/index.php/news/103

2. White A (2013, 20 March) The power of local community in reducing harmful drinking. Speech delivered at the opening of Alcohol Forum conference, 20 March 2013, Convention Centre, Dublin. Accessed 8 May 2013 at  http://alexwhitetd.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/



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