Madam, - Tomás O Beirne (January 13th) should consider the experience of Britain's liberalising of the licensing trade.
Liberalisation has not reduced the amount of alcohol consumed in Britain. Rather, binge drinking continues apace. Alcohol-related crime and rowdiness have increased to such an extent that doctors and police have voiced serious concern to the British government regarding a proposed further liberalisation to the Licensing Act.
Irish and British cities are already among the booziest in the world. As liberalisation in Britain has failed to reduce drink-related health and social problems, what sense would there be in repeating the same mistakes in Ireland? - Yours, etc.,
NIALL O'DONOGHUE, Narva, Finland.