We in Ireland have a chronic alcohol problem. It is reflected through addicted youngsters, in weekend binge drinking, in late-night street violence, in drink driving, in overcrowded accident and emergency wards and in neglectful, strung-out parents.
. No social class or age group has escaped the scourge that is blighting a growing number of families. Recently, Ireland moved from twelfth to second place in the world ranking for alcohol consumption.
This was not accidental. Drinks companies have specifically targeted young people, and particularly girls, through advertising and product development. The licensing trade has accommodated excessive consumption and a sizeable element has facilitated under-aged drinking. As citizens, we have not only allowed this to happen, but have participated in it.
Blaming others is no longer an option. We must shout stop. And mean it. The horrors of Dublin late at night were graphically illustrated, on Thursday, by an RTÉ Prime Time programme. It complemented a series of investigative articles published by this newspaper last April. And it showed - with all the shocking immediacy of the camera - how drink is fuelling a wave of late-night brawls, along with vicious, unprovoked attacks and the destruction of young lives.
Surely, this kind of behaviour and its underlying causes cannot be allowed to go unchallenged? There is no doubt that higher disposable incomes have played a part in this pernicious development. Students take part-time jobs in order to binge-drink with their peers. Parents, who frequently set a bad example, ignore that behaviour. And members of the Garda Síochána, conscious of powerful commercial interests, ambivalence within society and inept political resolve, make sporadic attempts to hold the line. A Public Order Bill was introduced in the dying days of the last government. It would have given the Garda the right to seek the closure of badly-run pubs, night clubs and fast food outlets, but now languishes at Second Stage in the Dáil.
This weekend, the Garda will initiate a pre-Christmas crackdown on drink driving. The very fact that motorists have to be warned in advance that they may be stopped and breathalysed indicates just how ingrained the culture of drinking and driving has become. And still, the number of drivers who exceed the legal alcohol limit and then go out to kill themselves, their passengers or innocent strangers are horrendously high.
Alcohol, used in moderation, can be a blessing. We in Ireland, however, have a history of abuse. Once, temperance movements helped to keep that malign influence in check. In today's world, the role of the individual is crucial. Governments can ban alcohol advertising, introduce mandatory identity cards for young people, facilitate random breath testing for motorists and close down offending establishments. Sporting organisations can review their sponsorship with drink companies. But the behaviour of every citizen - especially during the coming Christmas period and thereafter - is what will make the difference.