Sir, - I was indeed surprised and disappointed to see a large photograph on your front page last Saturday in which a group of French rugby supporters were seen sinking pints of Ireland's most celebrated alcoholic drink. In a week when the Minister for Health described the results of a survey by his Department on the habits of teenage drinkers as "startling and shocking" and suggesting that as part of the strategy to reduce the effects of alcohol abuse we should turn our attention to promoting the message of drinking less alcohol, it is hardly logical that within days you should carry further advertising free gratis.
You can hardly be unaware of the new initiative as you had extensive coverage of the Minister's press conference in your issue of the following day and carried a comprehensive editorial on the same topic.
It is surely enough that £25 million is already being spent annually on drink promotion without providing further free advertising. - Yours, etc.,
Tom Keith, Dungarvan, Co Waterford.