Health Minister hits out at drinks industry 'efforts to scupper' Alcohol Bill
The Health Minister Simon Harris has told the Dáil that the drinks industry has been promoting myths about Ireland's alcohol consumption.
Mr Harris was speaking as the house debated the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.
The legislation is back in the Dáil after taking two years to get through the Seanad.
Minister Harris says we, as a nation, have to face the facts about our drinking habits.
He said: "Recently published figures from the Central Statistics Office show that Irish people between the ages of 18 and 24 are top in the EU for binge-drinking, that is, drinking six or more drinks in one occasion.
"Ireland also ranks joint third for binge-drinking in a World Health Organisation analysis of 194 countries.
"Not the statistics you would have heard from the drinks industry in their efforts to scupper this legislation."
