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Martin McGuiness has criticised British soap operas for their "irresponsible" focus on drinking alcohol.

At the British-Irish Council summit in Dublin, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister hit out at broadcasters of British soaps including Eastenders and Coronation Street for their portrayal of boozy antics following bouts of binge drinking.

The teetotal minister said: "I am appalled at the drunkenness that is quite clear for everybody to see and all of that before the nine o'clock watershed."

Chief executive of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland Dr Jane Wilde applauded the comments and told the BBC: "We also need an end to special promotions by supermarkets and laws on the minimum pricing of alcohol."

Discussing alcohol and drug abuse at the summit, Welsh first minister Rhodri Morgan called for a change in the current binge drinking culture, arguing Britain should work towards a "sipping" culture similar to that in continental Europe.

The fight against drugs was named as one of the key issues at the summit which started yesterday. The summits were established under the agreement reached in Belfast on Good Friday in 1998.

Article published on 18/02/2008 by DryOutNow.com

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