Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed)
Dr. Henry: I thank Senator Maurice Hayes for sharing his time with me. I wish first of all to gain a few SuperClub points. Senator Quinn says he has spoken to the Minister about the issue, but I raise it to place it in on the record of the House. Senator Quinn is concerned about section 21(1)(b) of the Bill which provides that a seller must affix to any container containing intoxicating liquor to be sold off the premises a label which indicates where it was purchased. Senator Quinn feels this would be extremely time consuming and costly to implement while not having a very great beneficial effect. He suggests that only an off-licence which has already been in trouble should be made to put particulars on the alcohol it sells.
I agree with Senators Kate Walsh and Maurice Hayes who both said we must not regard this as an issue which involves only young people. Unfortunately, the issue involves everybody. We have developed an incredible alcohol culture.
If there is one group of people the Minister will have acquired as supporters, it is the accident and emergency consultants who came before the Joint Committee on Health and Children to tell the most appalling tales. I have mentioned some of those in the House previously, but there were other points raised in that forum which are worth following up
I am not sure how effective section 6, which relates to drunken persons, will be. It is very prohibitive in terms of asking licensees to take actions which will be detrimental to their living. I would have thought it was possible to get these drunken people involved with health professionals. If they have had two fines, is it not reasonable for us to send them to see alcohol specialist nurses? It seems useless simply to fine them and dump them out of the system.
6 o'clock
Senator Ryan has said he does not think young people are doing themselves much harm in the short term but they are. They are killing their neurons at a tremendous rate. Gastroenterologists have told me of encountering cirrhosis of the liver in women in their late 20s and early 30s. This problem was unknown until recently. This issue should be addressed. Imposing fines is not enough. More is needed.
The Minister is right to concentrate on clubs and late night venues. The most common mode of transport to hospital from a nightclub is by ambulance. Guess what that is costing the State. A considerable number of people go to hospital because assault is extraordinarily common outside these emporia. It would be a good idea to consider less aesthetic options such as the provision of unbreakable glass or plastic containers, the elimination of glass outside clubs, the provision of high quality and immediate medical care at larger venues, curbing overcrowding and happy hours, which cause dreadful problems, and better registration of doormen. Nightclub owners, brewers, distillers and so forth should have to pay for these.
A large number of people working in accident and emergency departments are injured as a result of alcohol. Senator O'Toole correctly pointed out that the drunkenness can endanger more people than those in the drunk's vicinity. This point should be taken on board because if the drunk gets so bad that he or she is carted off to hospital, he or she can end up beating up the casualty staff. A survey carried out by the accident and emergency departments in the Royal Victoria Hospitals in the United Kingdom and Ireland received 273 replies to a questionnaire, an 80% response rate. Alcohol, waiting times, recreational drug use and patients' expectations were perceived as the chief causes of assaults in casualty departments. Staff are regularly abused both verbally and physically and the survey found that alcohol was the most serious cause. Ten staff members sustained fractures in one year. There were 44 lacerations and 505 soft tissue injuries. This is utterly ridiculous. I would support any measures that would improve matters in this regard.
I do not know if the Minister is willing to accept amendments to the Bill but I am considering tabling an amendment with regard to alcohol prevention nurses. Simply imposing fines on people for being drunk is pointless because the same people will continuously come before the courts and paying €300 or €500 will not affect them. We want them to stop the bad behaviour.
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