Editorial – Who will fund sport?

ALCOHOL is never far from our minds. It may be thoughts of the last drink, and whether of not it was a good idea. Or thoughts of the next drink, or resolutions of â€Å“never againâ€Â. Or, more seriously, it could be worries about the effects of drink on a loved one, on children, on the family budget. We Irish have a highly ambivalent attitude to drink. On the one hand we collectively peddle an image of jovial drinkers enjoying pints in cosy pubs to the sound of jigs and reels. On the other, we have an organisation, the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, which advocates â€â€ total abstinence. No alcohol at all. Now, not for the first time, the national neurosis is being aired in the Dáil. Proposals to ban sponsorship of major sporting events by drinks companies are being hotly debated at committee level. Some cabinet ministers are known to favour such a ban, others oppose it. So why ban such sponsorship? It is said to increase the consumption of alcohol among young people. That is unlikely. Young people do not need logos on the sides of football or rugby pitches to persuade them to drink. What this advertising about is market share â€â€ persuading the drinker to choose your brand over another. There is no doubt that the consumption of alcohol in the early years of adolescence is bad for teenagers. It has been proven to increase the likelihood of developing alcohol-related disease later in life. But what these teens are drinking are not premium brands, but cheap booze. The best way to curb drinking by young people is to impose a minimum price on alcohol, ban drink promotions in nightclubs, and confine its sale to legitimate outlets â€â€ pubs, bars and off-licences â€â€ rather than having an alcohol corner in every convenience store. Then let the major drink brands continue to sponsor sport. This sponsorship has a trickle-down effect, and ultimately benefits the local club as much as the national association. Active participation in sport and physical exercise is about the only thing between us and the ills caused by a sedentary modern lifestyle. Letâ€â„¢s continue to encourage it.