Sir, - Dr Patrick Bedford of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, is to be applauded for pointing out the discrepancy between the National Alcohol Policy and recent Government measures such as extending the opening hours of licensed premises and freezing drink prices (August 2nd).
The Government is well aware of the serious health risks of excessive alcohol consumption. Yet it is made easier for young people to engage in weekend "binge" drinking. The Government should also be aware that a growing body of medical evidence points to a strong correlation between even moderate drinking among young girls in their teens and 20s and breast cancer. It is perhaps time for the Government to start considering alcohol to be as dangerous a drug as is nicotine in cigarettes and to treat it accordingly.
If the Government is really serious about the health and safety of our young people it is time to put warnings on all alcoholic drinks and, instead of freezing the price of drink, to place punitive taxes on all alcoholic beverages. Also, a national campaign warning of the dangers of alcohol abuse and the consequences for the young of alcohol consumption is long overdue. Taking these measures now would restore public confidence in the Government's support for its own National Alcohol Policy. - Yours, etc.,
A Smith, Dublin 15.