Enactment of the Public Health Alcohol Bill, which aims to reduce alcohol-related harm, has been hindered by lobbyists of the alcohol industry, it has been claimed.

According to the Alcohol Health Alliance, which represents over 50 of Ireland's leading voices in medicine and health advocacy, the alcohol industry has had ‘too much influence on policy for too long'. 

It is calling for the urgent enactment of the Bill, which includes a number of measures such as health warnings on alcohol products, strict restrictions on alcohol price promotions and minimum unit pricing to stop the sale of very cheap alcohol.

However it is now over 650 days since the Bill began its legislative process and since then, there have been almost 2,000 alcohol-related deaths - that is three people dying every single day.

"There is an unsustainable crisis in Ireland as a result of how much alcohol we consume and the way in which we drink. There is widespread concern about this and a huge public desire to take effective action to reduce alcohol harm.

"For too long, the alcohol industry has had too much influence on policy. The alcohol industry should have no role in national alcohol policy, which must be protected from distortion by commercial or vested interests," commented the alliance's chairperson, Prof Frank Murray, past president of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Prof Murray said he believes that An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, ‘have taken a courageous stand as individual advocates for the measures within the Bill, and the need to progress its enactment'.

"Without their commitment, this historic piece of public health legislation would have slipped off the agenda. I believe other political leaders in Ireland also support the effective action in the Bill," he said.

However, he believes that the wider political community has been susceptible to industry lobbying, and delays in enacting the Bill have had devastating consequences.

"Over the duration of this delay to enactment, a further 2,000 lives have been lost to alcohol-related illnesses, over 100,000 children have commenced drinking alcohol, and alcohol continues to be a factor in approximately half of all suicides in Ireland," Prof Murray explained.

He noted that alcohol consumption is again on the increase and the cost to the health service ‘continues to spiral beyond €1.5 billion annually'.

Meanwhile, a recent poll commissioned by Alcohol Action Ireland has shown major public support for the Bill. According to the findings, 92% of people agree that alcohol consumption in Ireland is too high and 78% of people are concerned about children's exposure to alcohol.

Some 82% support Government action to curb alcohol marketing that appeals to young people and 74% support overall Government intervention to reduce alcohol consumption.

The Alcohol Health Alliance is made up of 52 members, including medical experts and representatives of organisations such as Irish Heart, the Irish Cancer Society and the Children's Rights Alliance. It was established by Alcohol Action Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.