Sir, – I agree with Una Mullally that it's time for some action on excessive drinking in Ireland ("Time for action on our booze epidemic", Opinion & Analysis, June 30th).
However, buy-in from the community at large is the essential starting place. There will be no chance of achieving broad consensus by using statistics that torpedo credibility. No young person in Ireland, and few older people, will accept binge drinking as anything over three pints of beer (six units) in a session and the resultant absurd statistical extrapolations.
The answer, as always, will lie in a broad spectrum of measures in education, sporting facilities and social justice – all requiring investment and sacrifice by the community at large. And trusted and credible data as a foundation. – Yours, etc,
JOHN GRIFFIN,
Bloomsbury,
Kells,
Co Meath.