Dear Editor
I am happy to read of comments by leading consumer advocate Mr. Pat Dial in regards to the promulgation of the recently enacted legislation to curb tobacco consumption in Guyana. He is right on the money and I hope the public education process will intensify by Government and other relevant agencies to bring the desired effect.

However, in my view and I am sure there are many others with my perspective, who believe that alcohol consumption is a much bigger public health issue than tobacco resulting in murders, suicides, accidents, etc. which are generally not associated with tobacco consumption.

I therefore call on Mr. Dial and the Consumers Association (hopefully it is not a one-man show) and other concerned bodies and persons to bring pressure to bear on the government and indeed all parliamentarians, to bring urgent legislation in this year, to have draconian laws enacted with a view to curbing the consumption of alcohol which has reached worse than epidemic proportions.

These measures should include but not be limited to maintaining early closure of night clubs and places that sell alcohol; enforcing laws as it relates to who can buy alcohol; increasing taxes on alcohol to make it more costly and prohibitive for persons to buy; enforcing rigidly drink and drive laws; giving incentives to companies manufacturing alcoholic beverages to go into alternative endeavours; carrying out massive public education programme on dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and including this in a meaningful way for all schools; placing warning labels on all containers/vessels that alcohol is sold in, similar to warnings on cigarette packs; restricting of advertisements that can be placed at school events etc. and even on public television, unless the health warning is aired prominently either at the beginning or the end of advertisement.

What do you say Mr. Dial?
I look forward to your response in early course and comments by the public and relevant State authorities who I hope will all treat this matter with the urgency it deserves.

Regards
Ashok Ramnauth