I have been following with great interest the suggestions put
forward on how best to reduce the current road death epidemic. As
someone involved in the night-club entertainment for some years
now, I feel my views might be of some worth.

I am somewhat bemused by the most recent outcry against the
imminent enforcement of EU directives on drink driving. My
experience and observations have led me to come to the conclusion
that there is neither the spirit nor the will to enforce the
existing law.

Without wanting to sound alarmist, the paranoia of the so-called
drugs epidemic pales into insignificance, against the endemic
acceptance of alcohol in Ireland at present.
This country revolves around alcohol.

That is not to say that there is not a drug problem; there
clearly is, but as someone who is in the supposed 'front line' of
drug culture - the night-clubs - alcohol abuse far outweighs drug
abuse. I have seen more problems arising out of over-consumption
of alcohol than from drug use.

Go through your local papers and see the number of solicitors
citing alcohol as an explanation of their clients' 'out of
character behaviour'.

I neither smoke nor drink and am against the use of all drugs.
It is, however, my firm belief that alcohol is a very big
ingredient in the problem that we are seeing on our roads today,
and it is exacerbated by the reactive rather than the pro-active
approach of the gardai. Two arguments are used against further
reduction in the limit, one is economic, job losses, and the
other is invasion of social activity - poor excuses indeed to the
relatives of the 27 people killed on our roads in one week.

Paul O'Sullivan
Mountcharles
Co Donegal