The National Addiction Centre says inaction by the Government over the presence of the drug GBL in wine, reflects a widely held belief that alcohol is not a drug.
GBL is also known as GBH and Fantasy.
Recent British research found up to 15mg of GBL in a bottle of wine, the result of natural fermentation.
Professor Doug Sellman says the Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne moved swiftly to take synthetic cannabis off the market because it contains just a trace of benzodiazepine.
Yet Professor Sellman says wine contains more than a trace of GBL and that is being tolerated.
There has been no response from Mr Dunne's office.
