The Government will have to deal more effectively with the problem of alcohol abuse, Tánaiste Brian Cowen told the Dáil.
Mr Cowen said "responsible Ministers in various areas will have to take the matter on board and respond more effectively".
He was speaking following the publication of a report on alcohol consumption by the Health Research Board.
Joanna Tuffy (Labour, Dublin Mid-West) had highlighted the recommendation of the strategic task-force on alcohol that legislation "to reduce children's exposure to alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotions be enacted without delay".
Ms Tuffy said the Taoiseach had promised in 2003 that the Minister for Health would "shortly bring forward legislation to protect young people from exposure to alcohol marketing. What stage is that legislation at? "
Minister of State Pat Carey highlighted the "increasing anecdotal evidence of significant mixing of alcohol and other substances, such as cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines, ecstasy and so on. We are now getting to the stage where there is a problem with polydrug use."
Responding to Labour's Jack Wall (Kildare South), Mr Carey said there was an emerging strategy on alcohol misuse.
"I am anxious that there is a close synergy between the drug misuse strategy and the alcohol strategy. We are teeing up the review of the current national drugs strategy, which will run from 2009 to 2016. We would be foolish if we did not make the best use of the time available to us to marry both."
