Sir, – Paul Cullen's coverage of the Health Research Board's study of alcohol consumption by Irish people ("177,000 dependent drinkers in Ireland", June 24th) points to the fact that three-quarters of all alcohol is consumed in the context of binge-drinking and that two-thirds of young people in the 18-24 age group report that they engage in binge drinking.
In line with the findings of other studies carried out in recent years, these latest figures point to the fact that alcohol misuse constitutes a “ticking time-bomb” in Irish society, posing the single greatest threat to the physical and mental health of very large numbers of people across the age spectrum.
The toll that alcohol is taking is well recognised at official level. Despite the fact that it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that alcohol marketing, including sports sponsorship, encourages young people to drink at an earlier age and in greater quantities than they otherwise would, our Government continues to adopt a largely hands-off approach in terms of how alcohol is promoted in this country.
Recent revelations suggest that as a society, we can now safely condemn the way in which young, vulnerable Irish women and their children were treated in the past. While our lawmakers are currently falling over themselves to be seen to right these wrongs, they seem to be indifferent to the exploitation of the young of our own time by powerful vested interests that use the most sophisticated and insidious forms of marketing and promotion for the sole purpose of making vast profits. – Yours, etc,
Dr MICHAEL LOFTUS,
Deel Medical Centre,
Crossmolina,
Co Mayo.
Sir, – I have no doubt that as a general rule Prof Frank Murray of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (June 26th) is right about alcohol consumption – if the price is increased, the overall amount consumed will fall.
But I wait to be convinced that that fall will be spread evenly across the population – the well-off will continue to drink as much as they want; the badly-off will cut down. Even then somebody whose first priority is alcohol may well cut down in other areas, such as food, but continue to drink, the harm done by alcohol thus being compounded.
At a time when the Government is looking for any excuse to increase taxes, a chance to engage in a self-indulgent rhetoric of “it’s for your own good” as they hike prices will be welcomed. – Yours, etc,
EOIN DILLON,
Ceannt Fort,
Mount Brown,
Dublin 8.