Sir, – I see that the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Roisin Shortall, is proposing to increase the costs of alcohol (HEALTHplus, January 10th). Her argument is that such action will reduce the quantities being consumed by young people. She must have had a sheltered childhood – or else she has forgotten what it’s like to be 18 years old and looking for a night out. Increasing the price by 50 cent or a euro per bottle or can isn’t going to make the slightest difference, except for the increase in taxes being taken by the Government!
If she really wants to do something for the health of our young people, then she should increase the age limit for buying alcohol to 25, and couple this with legislation which permits the Garda Síochána to prosecute anyone guilty of underage purchasing of alcohol or of selling alcohol to those under 25.
In this way, young people will still have access to alcohol, but there is some chance that it will be in a more controlled way, and less liable to excess and binge consumption.
Only then will she be able to say that she has introduced a change which could prove to be positive for the health of the young people of this country. And she may also convince the rest of us that this change is for the better and not simply yet another way of introducing additional taxes! – Yours, etc,