Madam, - Last week's conference of the Association of Suicidology included criticisms of the drinks industry that are totally ignorant of the industry's major efforts to promote responsible drinking ( The Irish Times, November 21st).
Your report quotes a psychiatrist who likened drinks industry representatives to "drug dealers". While I understand that suicide is an emotive and sensitive issue, singling out and criminalising the drinks industry in this fashion is over the top and offensive to many of the 100,000 people working in this major sector of the Irish economy.
Alcohol misuse and abuse are not in the interests of anyone working in the drinks industry. That is why we have taken a lead role in establishing and working with Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (MEAS) whose efforts and campaigns to promote responsible drinking in recent years have been extremely effective.
Selectively blaming the drinks industry for an issue as tragic and complex as suicide does no one any good. Only by all sectors of society working together in partnership - as the drinks industry has been doing - can we achieve better understanding of the issue and try to address the many causes and effects of alcohol misuse.
As an industry we are committed to policies that are effective in tackling alcohol misuse. The efforts we have made in working with government can and will work. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL PATTEN,
Chair,
Drinks Industry Group of Ireland,
Anglesea Road,
Dublin 4.