Sarah Harte: Do we need a nanny state to curb our love of booze?

Surely state-encouraged behaviour modification is not the same as prohibition?

Ireland’s heavy episodic or binge drinking also ranks among the top 10 EU countries.

We’re fond of a drink in this country, not a crime in itself but alcohol abuse is a significant public health issue.

On Sunday, gardaí cleared a mass brawl of teenagers on the Burrow beach in Sutton, Co Dublin. It led to Labour councillor Brian McDonagh calling for gardaí to be “proactively seizing alcohol” on beaches. The beach was cleared again the following night after reports of a public order incident.