There can only be alarm at new figures showing that deaths due to alcohol consumption have reached their highest recorded levels.
Almost 400 deaths were registered during 2004, which is nearly double the numbers being seen a decade ago.
Around two-thirds of those who die each year are male, with alcohol-specific deaths most prevalent in the 45-65 age range.
Predictably, deaths are four times more likely in the most deprived areas of the north than in wealthy neighbourhoods.
Of course these figures are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the harm caused by alcohol in society.
They don’t include the part played by drinking in deaths and serious injury in road crashes, house fires and other accidents, as well as in cancers and many serious health conditions.
Around 20% of crime is also believed to have an alcohol component, with alcohol misuse once estimated as costing the north £900 million a year.
Around 200,000 people are thought to be drinking at hazardous levels, with serious impacts on their own lives as well as those of their families.
The latest figures have fuelled calls for Stormont to take action to introduce minimum alcohol unit pricing.
Despite having the highest rate of deaths of the four UK regions, Northern Ireland has failed to follow the example of Scotland, Wales and the Republic in clamping down on cheap booze.
Health experts and charities have said this can be an effective tool in cutting hospital admissions and crime, and a public consultation exercise has already been carried out.
However, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt told the assembly this week that there is a “blockage” in the Executive.
He warned that time was running out to introduce legislation in the current mandate and he feared it would be bad news he would be announcing if agreement is not reached in the coming weeks.
Of course pricing is only one way of trying to change behaviours, with a huge job needed across society to dislodge the cultural factors that make binge drinking acceptable or even glamorised.
However, raising the cost is one lever that can immediately be pulled and would send an important signal about the harm excessive alcohol consumption causes.
If it is still the case that DUP voices – historically more associated with temperance – are those blocking agreement, as reported in this paper last year, then they should come forward and explain fully their objections and what strategy they have to tackle this enormous public health issue.
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