This report approaches such harms in a comprehensive fashion, basing its many detailed analyses on answers from a probability sample of the whole Irish adult population about their experiences with adverse effects from others’ drinking. The resulting report is among the most detailed national reports that have been completed on alcohol’s harm to others and provides solid evidence that harms to others from drinking are at least as widespread as the harms to drinkers themselves and are of comparable magnitude. This general finding, as well as the details of the breadth and social location of the harms, contributes solid evidence for discussions in the Irish policy about what makes sense in terms of controlling the availability, pricing and promotion of alcoholic beverages.
The European Commission is preparing a third phase of this programme, therefore COPOLAD will be back at the beginning of 2021.