ALF RHATIGAN,
Sir, - Thomas J. Hannon (September 6th) will no doubt be disappointed that in spite of his reminder, the Code of Advertising Standards which requires that "anyone depicted in an alcohol advertisement should be over 25 years of age" was breached once again in Croke Park last Sunday week with the placing of a huge Guinness sign in front of the teams when their photographs were being taken.
I have followed with interest and concern the debate in The Irish Times and other media over the past year on the problem of alcohol abuse in this country.
There is clear evidence that:
1. Ireland has a chronic drink problem. It has moved from 12th to 2nd place in the world rankings of alcohol consumption.
2. A quarter of all visits to accident and emergency units in hospitals are now alcohol-related.
3. Recorded violent assaults have trebled in four years.
4. One in three marriage failures are due mainly to alcohol abuse.
5. There is a big increase in alcohol consumption by students at both secondary and university level.
6. The Government, having conducted a vigorous campaign against the advertising of tobacco, appears to have turned a blind eye to the glamorising of the drug alcohol, a much more nocuous drug than nicotine.
7. The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Minister for Sport and Tourism have welcomed Diageo (the parent company of Guinness) as the latest sponsor of the joint bid by the Republic of Ireland and Scotland to host the 2008 European Championship. As Minister for Justice John O'Donoghue exacerbated the situation by extending pub-opening hours.
In the light of all this let us hope that politicians will rally to the call made recently by Marian Harkin TD, who said the alcohol problem "underlined the pressing need for a full debate on what kind of society people wanted" (The Irish Times, September 4th).
- Yours, etc.,
ALF RHATIGAN,
Mountainview Road,
Dublin 6.