THE manager of Letterkenny General Hospital Sean Murphy is furious at cheap booze sales in Co Donegal – after 26 admissions to the Emergency Department in just one night.
Yesterday donegaldaily.com revealed that the drink-related admissions left under pressure staff struggling to cope last Wednesday evening.
Further to calls by NW Alcohol Forum for action to control low cost selling of alcohol in Letterkenny the HSE has announced that 26 people presented to the Emergency Department in Letterkenny General Hospital last Wednesday night with alcohol related conditions.
It is understood that many of these had been availing of a 98 cent drink promotion in a local nightclub.
Mr John Hayes, HSE Area Manager for Donegal said: “We have been increasingly concerned at the growing practice of low cost selling and its impact on both the health of the population and the demands on our services. With this most recent experience in the General Hospital.
“I truly worry that the situation will escalate unless action is taken to stop promotions that fuel our binge drinking culture.”
In Ireland the Chief Medical Officer recommends low risk weekly drinking limits of 11 standard drinks for women and 17 standard drinks for men. The prices on offer in the nightclub promotions mean that a woman will potentially hit her daily limit for as little as €3 depending on the alcohol content of the drink.
Mr Sean Murphy, General Manager at the Hospital said: “Our Emergency Department provide excellent service to everyone that enters the unit, often in pressurised and demanding circumstances.
“It is unfortunate that on Wednesday night, staff in the unit had to cope with a large surge in demand for services on top of the usual workload, largely attributed to these 26 alcohol related presentations that were effectively avoidable. This extra demand had a direct impact on the waiting times for other patients in the department.
“Thankfully we were able to assess and treat all those who presented with positive outcomes. I would call however on the key stakeholders in our community to act now to prevent potentially more serious harm next time.”
During the summer the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland called for a minimum price for alcohol to help prevent the abuse and misuse of alcohol and the irresponsible sale and promotion of alcohol.
he local experience of low cost selling is very much an attempt to compete with the off-licence sector that can significantly undercut the price in licensed premises.
Eamon O’Kane, Director of the Alcohol Forum said: “I welcome the HSE decision to publicise the impact of low cost selling in Letterkenny.
“Whilst everyone sympathises with the economic pressures facing many alcohol retailers, stock must be taken of the consequences of dangerous promotion. I recently presented to Letterkenny Town Council on the need for strategic management of the night-time economy. The experience of front line staff in the Emergency Department further evidences this need. The Alcohol Forum remains committed to working with all local stakeholders to address this issue.”
Echoing the calls for local action, John Hayes added: “There are many people and agencies with a vested interest in achieving a balanced role for our alcohol in our society.
“I would ask them to engage with the Alcohol Forum and the HSE in a concerted action to review what is currently happening and to implement steps that will ensure no repetition of last Wednesday night. This is a major social challenge and I hope that others will join with us to address it.”
Yesterday Letterkenny Mayor Gerry McMonagle expressed concerns at the sale of cheap drink in the county and is understood to be calling a meeting of various organisations to discuss the issue.
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