Madam, - I read with interest John Waters's column about alcohol abuse in your edition of December 9th.
It struck me that, while the country has been parading solemnly around this issue for some time now, the word "alcoholism" has been conspicuous by its absence.
I think that reintroducing this word into the debate at this stage would eliminate most, if not all, of the alternative explanations being used by the Government and the drinks industry to justify a continuation of the status quo and also go a long way towards de-glamourising the pastime of becoming drunk.- Yours, etc.,
M.F.O'CARROLL, Corcullen, Galway.