National: GAA star calls for unequivocal ban on alcohol brand marketing in sports

Mayo GAA star, Pádraig O'Hora, has stepped into the limelight with a bold stance against the marketing of alcohol brands in relation to sports.

On Monday night's installment of Upfront With Katie Hannon, Pádraig, who also serves as a community liaison officer for Mayo Mental Health and works with Youth Work Ireland, stressed the detrimental impact of alcohol marketing, especially concerning its association with sports.

The father-of-three reflected on his personal journey, sharing his decision to abstain from alcohol several years ago, citing concerns over its damaging effects.

"I just understand the damage it does," he shared with Katie. "I think anybody that grows up in Ireland has seen the impacts, be it in their own house, or in their own family, or somebody down the road." 

"So I suppose it was a decision we made after a couple of years to make sure it didn't impact our house the way it has other people".

Expressing worries about the potential consequences of increased alcohol consumption, the footballer said: "Very little good happens after 2am, I don't see the need for it personally, but as I said, I am for autonomy. I think adults should be able to make their own decisions, their conscious decisions, but there is obviously a risk."

Explaining his decision to go T-Total, he added: "If you don't have it, you won't worry about it."

"I was fortunate enough, I did have the supports. My mum done the same, she stopped drinking years ago. So did other members of my family that had trouble with alcohol."

Discussing the possibility of licensing laws to 6am in some cases, he said: "To be honest, I think people, adults, should have their own right to make decisions.

"If they want to drink, they want to drink. But if access is increased, obviously we're going to have more people drinking and in my line of work we see alcohol and drug use linked heavily to mental health issues, anti-social behavior, crime and simply obviously not what we want".

Pádraig's concerns extend beyond the consumption of alcohol to its marketing strategies, particularly within the realm of sports. He criticised the prevalent use of sports events as platforms for alcohol brand promotion, labeling it as misleading advertising.

"Big alcohol brands are utilizing sports to market and advertise. Just because they put a zero zero sign beside Guinness or Heineken or any of them, they're still marketing and advertising off sports," he argued.

When asked about potential solutions, he didn't mince his words. "Ban it," he declared unequivocally. "In simple terms."