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Alcohol
remains a key health issue in Northern Ireland. Although compared
to Great Britain and most other countries in Western Europe
Northern Ireland has a relatively high level of abstinence,
research over the last ten years shows that the proportion
of the population who choose not to drink has been getting
smaller. This body of research also suggests that the pattern
of drinking popularly described as 'binge drinking' (ie the
consumption of 11 or more units in a session for males, 7
or more units in a session for females) is quite marked, especially
among those aged
18-35, and is more pronounced in socio-economic groups D and
E.
In addition there has been a greater increase in the proportion
of women drinking in recent years, especially among young
adults.
There is a clear
cost to society attributable either directly or indirectly
to alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland. There is a cost to
the individual, the community and society in general, to health
and social services, the employment sector and to the public
service and safety sectors. One estimate of the total social
cost of alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland is £770 million
per annum.
However, despite
the obvious and not-so-obvious negative consequences
of alcohol misuse, it remains a significant feature of Northern
Ireland culture. For the majority of the population alcohol
is seen as a socially acceptable drug, one which enhances
a range of social settings and situations. A major challenge
for health promotion is addressing the public's dual perception
of alcohol as, on the one hand something positive, and on
the other hand something that has a clear cost to society.
The Government's
efforts to tackle the issue of alcohol misuse now centre on
the joint implementation of the Drug
and Alcohol
strategies from which
a number of regional and local action plans have been developed.
Within this strategic context, the HPA's key objectives are
to provide support, advice and accurate information for all
those who develop and implement policies and programmes, and
to develop public information campaigns for agreed target
groups and settings.
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