Sir, – In April this year, our 33-year-old daughter died as a result of alcohol addiction. The contents of Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke’s letter to the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, asking her to consider pushing back on the health warning labels on alcohol products is shocking.
For me the best time to introduce health warnings on alcohol products is today; the second best time was, perhaps, 33 years ago.
I am aware that the introduction of health warning labels on alcohol products may not prevent alcohol becoming the most important part of someone’s life, yet it might help to prevent a poor relationship with alcohol from starting. Just as speed limit signs encourage safer driving, yet not everyone obeys the speed limits.
Some things in life are constant like sunrise and the harm caused by alcohol, while other things in life are temporary like storm clouds and tariffs.
RM Block
Pausing the introduction of health warning labels saves no lives. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Dublin.
