Because of concerns about the negative impact that alcohol can have on individuals and communities, licensing statutes generally include a right for community members to object to the grant of a new licence or a renewal of a licence. The National Community Action on Alcohol Network, convened and supported by the Alcohol Forum, was formed in early 2017 to support community action on alcohol in Ireland and to facilitate collective working on issues of common concern. It approached the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA) to develop a legal guide on the licensing process in Ireland, as it is recognised that there is a link between the licensing of alcohol and its consumption. The guide,¹ published in May 2017, was compiled amid growing concerns about the widespread availability of alcohol in communities. It is intended to be a practical guide to the when, where and how of objecting to a proposed grant or renewal of a licence.

The Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe has published a new report, Costs and unintended consequences of drug control policies.¹ The overall aim of the report is to define and identify costs and unintended negative effects of drug control policies, borne by individuals and society (p. 9). The findings are based on a wider study carried out by the Pompidou Group in cooperation with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).