OPINION: 'I'm doing no beer for a year but it's very expensive to stay sober in Ireland'

I took the Dry January challenge a big step forward coming into the New Year by challenging myself to having no beer for a year. By beer, I mean a complete detox from alcohol for a full 12 months. It's a pretty radical move, especially in a country like Ireland where most occasions are centred around 'the few drinks.'

I wasn't a big drinker to start with but I enjoy a few at home mostly; watching the Six Nations or Champions League, having a few friends over, a beer, a whiskey, whatever. I consoled myself at the start of this challenge with the fact that most supermarkets now stock a large array of zero alcohol alternatives - but now I realise just how expensive those alternatives are. 

An eight-pack of regular Guinness is around €16 in most supermarkets right now. You'd be forgiven for thinking the zero version would be quite a bit cheaper but it's not. The same pack of Guinness 0.0 is still €14. A four-pack of 330ml Corona Zero or Heineken Zero bottles are €7.50 each. They are all almost the same price as the full whack versions. 

Just this week, Diageo announced a price hike and while a pint of normal Guinness is rising by €0.06, the price of a pint of Guinness 0.0 in a pub is going up by €0.09, and more than that at the counter when pubs make a margin on it. This shouldn't be happening. 

I know the zero products are manufactured in the same way, and maybe have more steps involved in the production line, but if people are being encouraged to take the zero alcohol version in the interest of health, they should be considerably cheaper. I know Michael Healy-Rae said this week his brother Danny could help Trump end the Ukraine war, but maybe he could have a word with Diageo and others and talk them down from sky-high prices for zero booze.

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In all seriousness, companies have made great strides in their zero alcohol offerings and while I have a gripe with a lot of pubs and hotels seemingly only taking delivery of Heineken Zero and nothing else, the supermarket shelves are well stocked. It's now over to the Government and companies to lower the price to incentivise more people to take that healthier option. If it's harder and more expensive for companies to produce zero alcohol drinks, and by all accounts it is, there should be some sort of rebate to lessen that burden, ultimately and most importantly, with the lower price passed on to consumers. 

It's a no-brainer; according to Alcohol Action Ireland, 11% of the healthcare budget is being used for alcohol-related illnesses and injuries. It is costing the healthcare system hundreds of millions every year to treat people with alcohol-related illnesses. It also impacts workplace performance and the justice system with alcohol-fuelled crime estimated to cost over €600 million each year. Alcohol Action Ireland estimates that alcohol costs the Irish economy over €12 billion a year while the Government only takes in around €1.2 billion in Revenue from alcohol sales. 

The draft programme for Government does not mention this blight on the health service. It commits to improving the health service in general with increased services and reduced waiting times, but so too has every programme for Government in the last few decades. In reality, the health service in this country has disimproved as the years roll on and here we have one of the biggest drains on it being ignored. The Government has always paid lip service to the area of drug and alcohol-related health issues. Ministers could list a hundred different schemes and policies that have come and gone, but very little has been done on the ground to change things, let's be honest.

I know zero alcohol products still contain sugar and are not healthy per se, but they have low or no alcohol and lower calories; that has to make them better if people here are going to reach for a beer or wine as regularly as we do.

I may be talking mostly with my pocket here as I try to transition from a few beers watching a match during the week to a few 0.0s, but there are so many benefits to be had by promoting this sector of the industry. Is it too much to ask that zero drinks be half the price? I won't hold my breath.