Alcoholic drinks

I would like to comment on the article appearing Thursday, Nov. 14, 1996 on page 1, entitled Serve alcoholic drinks to foreigners only.

I agree that strong drinks with a high alcohol content could intoxicate their consumer. Being drunk is not only dangerous to the drunkard, but he could be a menace to people around him.

In order to lessen these risks, people should be protected by means of a regulation stipulating that the serving of alcoholic drinks be restricted to special places only.

Based on this idea, I would like to call attention to two points:

1. The ruling should be based on concerns of health, peace and public order. In order to keep the nation united, this state rule should not be drawn from the perspective of a certain religion, even if the religion is adhered to by the majority of the people in the region.

For example, a government ruling disallowing divorce in the province of East Timor is not justified, even if the religion professed by the majority of the people in that province does not permit or recognize divorce.

By the same token, a ruling which restricted beef distribution in Bali would be out of place.

2. Scientific research has proven the dangers of cigarette smoking, which does not concern smokers only. People in the vicinity of a smoker will also be affected.

For this reason alone, if consumption of alcoholic drinks is to be regulated by the government to protect the public, a regulation for cigarettes should also be drafted.

Name and address

known to the editor