| “Drinkers themselves” & “parents” top misuse blame |
Posted: November 13 2006
 The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has published the findings of a major Behaviour & Attitudes opinion poll of public attitudes towards the problems of alcohol misuse. The poll examines the public’s views on who is to blame for the problem of alcohol misuse and on what they think should be done about the problem.
It was conducted across the country amongst a representative sample of 1,062 adults (18 years and older) and is the latest in an annual exercise which has measured attitudes towards alcohol misuse in Ireland over the past four years.
In terms of unprompted spontaneous answers, the poll finds that people are most likely to blame “drinkers themselves” (31 per cent) and “parents” 26 per cent for the problem.
The proportion of adults spontaneously blaming these two groups has risen by three per centage points in each case over the past year, states the DIGI.
Some 23 per cent spontaneously blame “publicans/licensed trade” representing a fall of six per centage points in the number blaming this grouping in the past 12 months.
Some 22 per cent spontaneously blame “young people”, a fall of one per centage point over the year and 12 per cent spontaneously blame “government”, three per centage points less than was the case a year ago.
About seven per cent blame “alcoholic drinks ads”, a fall of two per centage points on the year.
Other targets for blame include the “education system” (six per cent), “too much money” and “society/culturally acceptable” (five per cent) with “alcoholic drinks manafacturers” getting four per cent of the blame.
An unchanged three per cent blame “sponsorship by alcoholic drinks companies”
Graham Wilkinson, Founding Director of Behaviour & Attitudes, says that the research was designed to measure broad attitudes to alcohol misuse amongst the general public based on the following questions:
• How serious is the problem?
• How does this compare versus five years ago?
• Who is to blame for the problem?
• How should this be addressed?
When researchers produced a prepared list of people/groups to whom blame might be assigned, the results were as follows:
• 62 per cent identify “drinkers” themselves - an increase of three per centage points on the year.
• 49 per cent blame “young people” and “publicans/licensed trade”. There is no movement in the percentage blaming “young people” but the percentage of respondents blaming “publicans/licensed trade” is eight per centage points lower than the figure a year ago.
• 31 per cent blame “government” - this is seven per centage points less than blamed government a year ago.
• 21 per cent blame “sponsorship by alcohol drinks companies” (one per centage point higher than a year ago). The same amount blame “alcoholic drinks manufacturers” (five per centage points down on a year ago)
• And 34 per cent blame “alcoholic drinks ads” – three per centage points down on the figure a year ago.
The survey then asked what people believe should be done to deal with the problem of alcohol misuse. Again it first asked people for their spontaneous response – then for a reaction to a short list of options.
Four actions dominated the spontaneous responses:
• Better/Stricter law enforcement (23 per cent) – a rise of two per centage points on the previous year
• Education in schools (21 per cent) – a rise of four per centage points
• Proof of age/ID Cards (20 per cent) – a decline of three per centage points
• Tighter Laws on under-age drinking (17 per cent) – a decline of five per centage points.
Some measures which have received considerable publicity score very low on the list of spontaneous responses: Just three per cent of respondents suggest raising taxes on alcohol – the same as last year - while just four per cent propose banning all alcohol sponsorship, one per centage point less than last year.
Just 10 per cent propose banning all alcohol ads – the same as last year.
When respondents are asked to choose responses from a prepared list the results are:
• “Proof of age/ID cards” (54 per cent) – four per centage points down on a year ago
• “Tighter laws on underage drinking” (54 per cent) – the same as a year ago
• “Education in schools” (53 per cent) – five per centage points higher than a year ago
• “Better/stricter law enforcement” (51 per cent) – one per centage point down on a year ago
• “More alternative activities/facilities” (48 per cent) – five per centage points down on a year ago.
Of 12 prompted answers, the proposals on ads, sponsorship and taxes are the 10th, 11th and 12th least popular measures respectively.
The relative per centages are 31 per cent proposing “banning all alcohol ads”, 19 per cent proposing “banning all alcohol sponsorship” and just 16 per cent proposing “raising taxes on alcohol”. These responses are two per centage points higher, one per centage point lower and one per centage point higher respectively compared to a year ago.
The survey also questions this adult sample as to the seriousness of the problem of alcohol misuse. In line with the level of concerns expressed in previous such polls, 43 per cent of adults view the problem as “extremely serious” with a further 35 per cent suggesting it is “very serious”.
A year ago the responses were 41 per cent and 37 per cent respectively.
In a related question, the survey asks people to comment on whether they regard the situation today as “better”, “the same” or “worse” than five years ago.
70 per cent feel that the situation is “worse” than five years ago – the same per centage as last year. This is a decline on the findings in the earlier years of the poll when 76 per cent (2002), 79 per cent (2003) and 78 per cent (2004) said they thought the problem was worse than five years previously.
DIGI Chairman Michael Patten comments, “This research confirms two important facts. Firstly it confirms that the Irish public is concerned about the problem of alcohol misuse. Secondly it demonstrates clearly that the public want the better enforcement of existing regulations rather than the imposition of new measures such as higher taxes or the banning of alcohol advertising or sponsorship”.
Drinks Industry Ireland |
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