Sir, - As a secondary schoolteacher with a long history of involvement in alcohol education, may I make some suggestions in response to the latest wake-up call from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD)?
Firstly, parents - the primary educators - can by their example in respecting alcohol set the tone. Secondly, our 100 secondlevel schools (post-primary) can be pro-active by incorporating alcohol awareness into the RE programme.
Thirdly, strict advertising standards should be set down in conjunction with the Department of Health.
Fourthly, a national identitycard system needs to be enforced. The 80 premises nationwide reported by Justice Minister John O'Donoghue to be under Garda investigation for serving under age drinkers could prove to be the tip of the iceberg. Fifthly, Could certain sports commentators be prevailed upon to recognise the validity of celebrating victory with non-alcoholic beverages rather than the customary "few pints"?
Finally, could the Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods, secure the assistance of his officials to use all the powers of modern technology in having the Junior Certificate results posted to schools in August? Over 90 per cent of the 389 post-primary schools who responded to the survey carried out by "Alert On Drink and Drugs" (October 1994) asked that this be done to help to curtail the annual binge-drinking associated with the celebration of the Junior Certificate results each September. - Yours, etc.,
Frank Burke, Christian Brothers Secondary School, Synge Street, Dublin 8.