YOUTH WEBSITE SpunOut.ie wants muscians playing at Arthur’s Day this year to donate their fee to alcohol abuse charities.
The youth charity, which is part funded by the HSE, said that it would be a good way for acts to “acknowledge the effect harmful drinking causes on our society by donating their fee or the fee they would normally charge to hard working charities”.
Musicians
Biffy Clyro, Emeli Sandé, Iggy Azalea, Janelle Monáe and Irish acts Kodaline, Le Galaxie and The Script are all scheduled to play at sold out Arthur’s Day events that are taking place all over the country.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Ian Power from SpunOut.ie said: “What we’re saying to the acts and their fans is simple; Diageo’s Arthur’s Day is a marketing exercise with the sole aim of increasing alcohol consumption without any regard to the harm caused.”
He added that last year, A&E departments around Ireland saw a spike in the number of people admitted to hospital on Arthur’s Day due to alcohol related incidents, adding that alcohol related harm currently costs the Irish health system €4 billion per annum.
He added:
The narrative around the whole Arthur’s Day event is that it is about music, that is the narrative Diageo is presenting.We think the only way to counter that argument, is for the musicians themselves to step in here. While they are, in a sense, promoting an alcohol sponsored event, they need to also send a message out that there that there is a downside to alcohol.
He added that SpunOut.ie knows that people can enjoy alcohol responsibly, but said the muscians need to take responsibility for the type of event they are performing at, and donating their fee would do that, I think,” said Power.
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