Madam, - A report from the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance makes a "modest" estimate of a 5 per cent reduction in alcohol sales if the proposed ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants goes ahead (The Irish Times, August 22nd). Shock, horror!
Only last winter we had saturation coverage in the media about the problems of alcohol abuse in this country: binge drinking, public order offences, assaults, swamped hospital casualty departments - the list went on and on. With this in mind, perhaps a 5 per cent decrease in alcohol sales might not be such a bad thing.
The only cloud on the horizon would be the lost revenue to the Exchequer. Where would Mr McCreevy turn to make up the predicted loss of €157 million? University fees, anyone? - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL JEFFERS, Harristown, Naas, Co Kildare.