New studies have shown a strong connection between alcohol and a rise in domestic abuse reports. With new legislation in Ireland seeking to liberalise alcohol opening hours and density of licensed premises, who is looking out for those impacted by domestic abuse?

Today we take a look at the dangers of increased trading hours and alcohol availability and ask are policy makers really staying true to their zero tolerance policy for domestic abuse, or are commercial influences winning over?

Our experts today are working tirelessly in research and policy to show the detrimental effects of alcohol availability, they are Dr. Frank Houghton of Technological University of Shannon, Limerick and Michala Kowalski, a PhD candidate at the Social Policy Research Centre studying the night-time alcohol policy ecosystem in New South Wales, Australia.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

● The risks of the sale of alcohol bill

● Research on the night time economy and domestic violence report rates

● Does profit trump people when it comes to alcohol policies?

● Pushing for better recording of data and research

● How domestic violence can be fueled by alcohol

GUEST DETAILS

Dr Frank Houghton, Technological University of the Shannon

Michala Kowalski is a Scientia PhD candidate at the Social Policy Research Centre, studying the night-time alcohol policy ecosystem in New South Wales

MORE INFORMATION

If you are looking for support visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/

To find out more about Alcohol Action Ireland visit alcoholireland.ie

QUOTES

The government appears to have undercut an awful lot of these advances with this new sale of alcohol bill. My concern is there's significant international evidence which clearly demonstrates that increased alcohol license, retail density inevitably increases violence, and also intimate partner violence or domestic violence. I am having huge trouble trying to marry these two conflicting approaches from government. - Dr. Frank Houghton

We also have the issue that the normalization. Alcohol is just a normal part of our society, it's just the standard. And I think that's hugely, hugely worrying. - Dr. Frank Houghton

We do see this strong connection between rates of family and domestic violence and alcohol availability. So I think it's more about the frequency, and aggravating and exacerbating type of circumstance in the environment. The trading hours I was looking at was two hours, 29% reduction for two hours of late night drinking. Even that can have a really big difference. - Michala Kowalski

KEYWORDS

#alcohol #domesticviolence #ireland #domesticabuse #health

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