Sir, Libby Purves raises the important problem of children raised by drug addicts (Comment, March 16). However, I would argue that being out of your mind on alcohol is no less a problem than being out of your mind on any other drug.

I have worked as a teacher with children whose emotional and intellectual lives have been profoundly damaged by early childhood neglect, related to drug and alcohol abuse. I find it shocking that in a country that purports to value children, driving a car under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal but caring for children when similarly incapacitated is not.

It needs saying, often and loudly, that looking after children requires considerably more skill and thought than driving a car.

If parents cannot provide appropriate care for their children — which means not being blind drunk or stoned when they are around — then someone else needs to.

Yours,
JENNIFER EADES,
281 Buxton Road,
Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 7ET.
March 16.

From Mr Glyn Sloman

Sir, At long last the Government has recognised that binge drinking is out of control and that the police find it more or less impossible to enforce the law in many city centres at night (report, March 16).

This is no surprise to the many millions who live in the towns where the police have lost control. For several years, parents have been warning their children not to walk through town centres at night, ordinary citizens have avoided evening entertainment in the seemingly unpoliced Home Counties, and foreign visitors to our country have left, amazed at the drunken behaviour of our youth.

This seems another example of passive government, always reacting after the event rather than pro-actively managing our community.

If the fact that the police have lost control of our night-time city and town centres is a surprise to the Cabinet, perhaps they should get out more.

Yours,
GLYN SLOMAN,
2 Maze Green Road,
Bishop’s Stortford,
Hertfordshire CM23 2PJ.
March 16.

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