New alcohol licensing law is regressive and harmful

IT IS amazing in this country how many people we all know that are either alcoholics or seriously heavy drinkers to the point they are taking years off their life.

It’s time to face the brutal truth: there’s no glamour at the bottom of a glass. Alcohol addiction has long been romanticised in films, TV shows, books and adverts. It’s time for all of us to stop glossing over the destructive drudgery and sheer sorrow and hardship of this disease.

If alcohol was invented today, it would be defined as a Class A drug. It’s a compelling drug as for many it acts as this delicious reward which is available in so many tasty varieties.

It’s a drug that cheers us up when we’re sad, soothes us when we’re anxious and lubricates us when we need it. In the meantime, we forget it’s a depressant.

This is why I agree with the Irish Medical Organisation which has warned that the extension of alcohol licensing laws is a regressive and harmful move that runs contrary to the Governments stated goal of reducing alcohol intake by 20%.

I am no killjoy but in a country like ours with problematic drinking, I would definitely oppose these new alcohol licensing laws as I think of the thousands of families that will be affected and impacted by same.

It’s my contention that the Government does not have a coherent, logical and reasoned policy on alcohol which I find rather discombobulating.

John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Silly question

I wonder, in the interests of balance and objectivity, if RTÉ could come up with a slightly more difficult question for opposition politicians than the usual ‘is the government doing enough’.

Pat O’Mahony, Westport, Co. Mayo.

Ad nauseam

SOME of the inane and irritating advertisements on radio and television these days are surely

testing the tolerance levels of many listeners and viewers. The contents of some of the commercials are so silly that if the people involved with them behaved in a similar manner in a public house they might be asked to leave and not return.

It is sad to notice the trend of young children being used in some ads and such is surely exploitation. Indeed, the efforts of some business outlets attempting to attract new customers could have the opposite effect.

Keeping the message more simple and in the language of ‘ordinary people’ could reap better results.

Noel Coogan, Navan, Co. Meath.

Executive decisions

I DON’T think anyone was surprised that the DUP refused to get the Executive up and running, even if the DUP got all their

demands, I am convinced that they would find some other excuse. There is no way they will go into Stormont second to Sinn Féin. A needless election has been foisted on the voters of Northern Ireland. If by chance the DUP do get the most seats and Jeffery is First Minister I bet then they would agree to power-share.

J McCourt, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

Testing my patience

MASSIVE delays are now evident at NCT centres nationwide. We were told after the Covid era that the backlog would be cleared. However, things have got much worse. You could be waiting up to six months for a NCT appointment while the validity of your insurance is in doubt.

We need to build more vehicle inspection centres to cope, but NCT centre commissioning has

stopped. The current infrastructure is totally inadequate for the

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amount of vehicles that are being sold. If the Government is serious about making our roads safer and improving emissions, which is now in doubt, then it is crucial that inspections are not delayed for an inordinate length of time.

Letters are being issued to motorists from the NCT threatening them with prosecution if they don’t have a current NCT, but it’s sheer hypocrisy when the tests are so difficult to get and maybe well out of a road user’s way.

This is now a very serious issue and is causing headaches for motorists while leaving potentially dangerous vehicles on the road which are well past their inspection date.

The Government has been extremely short-sighted in not building more NCT centres when the number of vehicles on our roads has skyrocketed. This is just one other example of how inadequate this country is and the product of a Government which talks far more than it walks.

Maurice Fitzgerald, Shanbally, Co. Cork.