Madam, - Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan recently said the Government would redouble efforts to deal with drugs and the abuse of alcohol, which are the cause of many problems today.
I agree with the Minister in making the connection between alcohol abuse and other drugs. As a teacher I have listened to young people talking and discussing alcohol abuse and drugs over the past 10 years especially and I am convinced that alcohol is now the "gateway" drug to other drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, tobacco and ecstasy. Recent statistics have shown that drug consumption among Irish youth rose steadily throughout the 1990s and that Ireland currently has one of the most drugs-experienced youth populations in the EU.
The drinks companies use sport - eg the current Rugby World Cup - to advertise their products. We are bombarded with images on TV of young people drinking Guinness, Budweiser, cider, vodka, Baileys, etc. Drinking alcohol is perceived as the cool thing to do. This advertising of alcohol has produced the "lad and ladette" culture which is part and parcel of our so-called Celtic Tiger economy.
I would suggest to the Minister and also to the junior minister in charge of drugs that the first step that they should take is to bring in legislation to stop or restrict the mass advertising of alcohol. After all, one of the main recommendations of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol was to restrict alcoholic advertising because of the effect it was having on the young population. The recommendation was not implemented due to strong lobbying from the drinks industry. - Yours, etc,
PAT CAHILL, Past President, Asti, Whitehall Road, Terenure, Dublin 12.