Madam, - To counter our underage- and binge-drinking culture, Liam Lawlor (December 28th) suggests the most effective measures are to increase the price of drink and raise the legal drinking age to 21.
On the first point, the price of drink in Ireland has risen steadily over the past decade, making this one of the most expensive places in Europe to enjoy a drink. Has the level of drinking decreased along with this? No, it has increased, which would suggest that raising the price of drink is not effective in tackling this issue, not in the long term anyway. As regards raising the legal age of drinking to 21, how would this prove effective? If 13-year-olds can get their hands on drink when the legal age is 18, I don't think they'll have much problem if we increase the limit by three years. Also, increasing the legal age to 21 in a culture such as ours would probably promote and glamorise drinking even more than it is now in the eyes of young people.
When are people going to learn that, when it comes to issues such as this, quick fixes do not work? Our problem with drink is deep-rooted in our culture and needs to be addressed at the core, not on the surface. - Yours, etc.,
DARA KENNEDY,
Alexandra Court,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14.