Street violence - State must tackle drink abuse crisis

THE explosion of unprovoked violence on the streets of Ireland’s cities and towns has spawned a plethora of sociological theories about this ugly side of Irish life. But at the end of the day, it comes down to one thing: drink.

Drunkenness, abuse of alcohol call it what you will is the predominant factor behind an epidemic of casual violence that makes war zones of the country's accident and emergency units night after night.

So vicious are these attacks that some people have been battered to death, while others have ended up on life-support systems.