ABSTRACT
Historically the alcohol industry has always been an important one in Ireland, relatively the more so because of the generally backward state of Irish industry over the centuries. During the eighteenth century many individual breweries and distilleries emerged and there were anything up to a couple of hundred breweries and distilleries in Ireland. Spirit advertising is prohibited on radio and television and a voluntary code concerning advertising of other alcohol products on these media has been in existence for several years. The government has recently set up a relatively well endowed Health Education Bureau which has statutory responsibility for dealing with, inter alia, public education concerning alcohol related problems. The rate of increase in liver cirrhosis deaths has been greatest among women. Alcohol production in Ireland occurs in an open market system with minimal state interference other than through taxation. In response no formally articulated government policy on alcohol consumption and alcohol problems has emerged.
