The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) has responded to a World Health Organisation report, published yesterday, which claimed that Ireland has the second highest rate of binge-drinking in the world.
Commenting on the report, the ABFI's Kathryn D’Arcy said, “We note the research from WHO and welcome the opportunity to discuss the important societal issue of alcohol misuse. However, it is important to note that this particular research was conducted in 2010 and since then, average per adult alcohol consumption has declined substantially - down a further 8.5% since this research was conducted.
"Average per adult consumption is now over 25% lower than the peak of 2001. We are consuming alcohol at pre-1990 levels and are fast approaching EU norms."
The ABFI said that it has 'worked hard' to tackle misuse through strict codes of practice and regulatory standards. "We hope the Government will allow us to continue to work hard to address the issue around misuse by taking part in a whole of society approach. The misuse of our products in no way benefits us as an industry," D’Arcy added.