The disgraceful scenes in the Holylands area of Belfast on St Patrick's Day provided an extreme example of the destructive relationship many young people have with alcohol but the sad reality is that binge drinking and drunkenness are regular features of everyday life in our society.
It is also a fact that many young people are not waiting until age 18 to take their first drink but have been introduced to alcohol at a much younger age.
Indeed, it was reported that a significant number of the revellers who turned up at the Holylands this week were not students but youngsters in their early teens who had come into the area to party.
There needs to be a wide-ranging approach to what is a serious annual problem but there is also a more fundamental issue with regard to children having access to alcohol and beginning a habit which could have profound implications for their health and wellbeing.
There are many examples of underage drinking and the problems it brings, one of the more recent in Co Monaghan where a teenage nightclub decided to breath test youngsters after a bus arrived at the venue carrying kids who were unconscious due to alcohol consumption.
Parents clearly have a major role to play in ensuring their children are not engaged in drinking while schools can also help to address the issue of peer pressure and increase awareness of the dangers of alcohol.
It is also crucial that youngsters are not able to buy alcohol and this is where enforcement of the law is important.
Four years ago the PSNI ran an `alcohol test purchasing' scheme which involved underage teens trying to buy drink to see if premises were complying with the law.
The scheme was suspended following concerns by youth organisations but it now looks set to be revived.
Obviously, any such initiative involving children must be carefully managed but it has to be recognised that other jurisdictions run similar projects.
No one is suggesting that this scheme provides all the answers to what is a widespread problem but it does give the police another measure that can be used as part of a more comprehensive approach.
It is likely that even the fact that the PSNI has the option of using this method of detection will have a deterrent effect and may lead to business owners introducing more stringent checks on customers.
It has to be recognised that alcohol abuse is a serious issue in our society. It is not just the appalling behaviour in the Holylands but the regular scenes of drunkenness and aggression in towns and cities and the emergency departments full of people suffering the effects of over-consumption.
We have to confront this issue at a number of levels, starting with children.
