The Joint Oireachtas Committee in Health and Children today commences public hearings on the Heads of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill with a meeting with Prof Frank Murray from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI).
A cross section of organisations that made submissions to the Committee will appear before it in the next few weeks as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill.
The Bill aims to provide for health labeling of alcohol products and enforcement powers for Environmental Health Officers, as well as minimum unit pricing and the regulation of advertising and marketing.
Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer commented that tackling alcohol misuse is a priority for the Committee but that there is no single measure that will solve the problem, “Rather, a package of measures is needed to change out attitudes towards, and behaviour regarding, the consumption of alcohol.”
He added that, “As legislators with the responsibility in this area, it is important that we engage carefully with the wider public to listen to a broad spectrum of views on the draft legislation on curbing alcohol.”
The hearings commence at 4.45pm.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
