Sir, The current debate on the very high levels of underage drinking has highlighted a serious public health problem in this country. The previous week the topic of major concern was the unacceptably high rate of road traffic deaths amongst young people. What these two issues highlight is the need to construct healthy public policy which involves many Government departments, not just the Department of Health and Children.
While education and awareness are important in an overall strategy to bring about behaviour change, their effects take a long time to bear fruit. If we want to see dramatic and immediate effect we need to resource and enforce existing laws and make better laws that place the health of the people above economic considerations and vested interests.
Public policy often has unintended consequences that are counterproductive to public health: cheaper alcohol and tobacco, faster cars, contaminated beef. While we all have some responsibility for our own choices, in many situations the healthy choice can only be enabled by imaginative legalisation. The making and enforcing of laws are matters that ultimately rest with the Oireachtas. Other countries seem to be able to strike the right balance between individual freedom and healthy public policy. Until we do likewise in Ireland we will continue to be near the top of the unhealthy league for many conditions and our young people will pay for our inertia with their lives. - Yours, etc.,
Dr Joseph Barry, MD FRCPI FFPHMI, Dean, Faculty of Public, Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin, 2.