Is cuimhin liom go maith agus mé ag fás aníos sna hochtódaí agus sna nóchadaí a bheith ag féachaint ar an Carroll’s Irish Open sa ghailf nó an Benson & Hedges Irish Masters sa snúcar. Ag an am sin, bhí urraíocht forleathan in imeachtaí spóirt ós na comhlachtaí móra tabac. Cén fáth go raibh an urraíocht sin chomh láidir is a bhí? Go simplí, ós rud é gur éirigh leis na feachtais urraíochta sin na milliúin punt sa bhreis a thuilleamh dos na comhlachtaí tabac agus daoine ag caitheamh toitíní áirithe. Diaidh ar ndiaidh, tháinig athruithe ar na rialacha agus ar na dlíthe a bhaineann le cúrsaí urraíochta sa spóirt. Shocraíomar, agus shocraigh tíortha agus rialtais eile ar fud an domhain, stop a chur leis an urraíocht tabac sa spóirt. Níl aon amhras agam ach gurb í seo ceann de na cúiseanna go bhfuil líon na ndaoine atá ag caitheamh tabac sa tír seo tar éis titim le blianta anuas agus is maith an rud é sin dúinn go léir.

The reason I say all of this is to put into context the similar challenge we face today in relation to the advertising and promotion of alcohol brands in sport and at sports events. I refer specifically to the advertising of 0% alcohol products by well-known and widely recognised alcohol companies. Those companies deliberately use virtually identical branding for non-alcoholic products as they do for the equivalent alcohol products. This strategy enables these companies to exploit inadequacies in the current legislation and effectively circumvent it to boost alcohol sales, particularly among younger people.

Alcohol, when consumed to excess, does enormous damage to individuals and families, particularly when a pattern of consumption is established at an early age. Alcohol Action Ireland recently published a new report, Drinking it in: How alcohol sports advertising influences child and youth consumption behaviour, which informs us that during recent high-profile televised rugby matches in Ireland, alcohol references are occurring at a rate of up to one every eight seconds. The report also finds that children do not distinguish between advertisements for 0% products and alcohol products, seeing them all as alcohol references. We need to legislate effectively to close the current loophole and to enforce stricter and more effective laws in the area of alcohol advertising in sport for the benefit of all, particularly the young people of the country.