Madam, - The Kerry branch delegate of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, Mr John O'Sullivan, claims that stricter drink-driving laws have meant that many people in the country are now afraid to drive to the pub and are drinking at home instead (The Irish Times, May 14th).
And this is a bad thing that people's lives are being saved? It would seemingly also be a bad thing if non-smokers were to be saved from not having to inhale passive smoke in pubs.
Isn't it time the VFI copped on and started realising that people's lives are more important than profit? If they had any entrepreneurial spirit they would have set up a minibus service for those incommoded by the drink-driving laws, as well as smoking rooms away from the main pub area for their smoking patrons. - Yours, etc.,
ALAN MORKAN, Rennes, France.
Madam, - The main problem with Ireland's habits is the "super-pub". With a shortage of seats and music so loud you can't hear the person next to you shouting in your ear, the only option one has is to drink.
Customers stumble between the bar and the toilets, banging into people and causing annoyance. The drinking these bars encourage is plentiful and fast.
In the traditional pubs, conversation is the focus of a night out over a few quiet pints and politeness is norm. Unfortunately, these pubs are a dying breed.
Reducing pub-closing hours would certainly help, as most of the violence happens on the streets after people leave, but what we really need to change is how we drink. - Yours, etc.,
EVELYN FARRELL, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.