Seanad debates
Wednesday, 11 December 2002
Alcohol Consumption by Young People: Statements.
We cannot tell young people they cannot drink because that is the way of life. However, we can try to educate them to be moderate in their drinking and to limit the amount of alcohol they consume. I am not advocating that the Total Abstinence Association changes the form of its pledge, but there is a message there. The message should be that we should seek a commitment from young people to limit the amount of alcohol they consume. There is nothing wrong with having a drink, but it is not right to get oneself into a state where one no longer knows what one is doing. I cannot subscribe to the boast some people make that they had a great night last night, that they got as drunk as a lord and that they do not remember a thing about it. That is nothing of which to be proud. It is not the direction in which society should be going.
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