Alcohol-fuelled crime - Youth drink culture is not a game

Young people in other generations did not have the social pressure from peers to drink. There was, in fact, a much stronger public awareness of the dangers of drink.

In recent years St Patrick’s Day has been marred by antisocial behaviour, but such behaviour is not just confined to the national feast day, it is a common occurrence on weekends throughout the year.

Fianna Fáil came to power in 1997 promising “zero tolerance” but we have been tolerating the growth of dangerous behaviour, as if it were a game. Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced with much fanfare, but not even one ASBO was issued in the past year.