| Summary: | Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) is now setting out its vision, mission, values, goals and actions over the next five years in this strategic plan. Our vision is of a society free from alcohol harm. Given the current levels of alcohol harm in Ireland there is a real urgency to maintain pressure on harmful alcohol consumption. It is clear from interventions in other counties e.g. Iceland14,15 and Estonia16 that concrete government action guided by public health policies as recommended by the WHO can lead to significant reductions in alcohol consumption and consequent measurable improvements in public health. In Iceland the percentage of adolescents who have never used alcohol during their lifetime rose from 20.8% in 1995 to 65.5% in 201514. In Estonia there has been a reduction in alcohol consumption from 14.8 litres per capita in 2007 to 9.9 litres per capita in 2016 while the number of deaths from alcohol related illnesses fell by 40% over this period.16 It is apparent also, that an overall reduction in alcohol consumption will strongly contribute to the aims of the Healthy Ireland Framework – e.g. in the areas of obesity, smoking, wellbeing and sexual health. There are also multiple other areas of Government strategy in which the reduction in alcohol consumption has a significant role e.g. • Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. A health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017–2025. • Healthy Ireland: A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013–2025 Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy 2012 • National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017–2020. • National Men’s Healthy Action Plan Healthy Ireland 2017–2021 • Connecting for Life, National Strategy to Reduce Suicide, 2015– 2020. • National Youth Strategy 2015–2020 • Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: The national policy framework for children & young people (2014– 2020). • Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 • First 5. A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and ...
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