OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to our article, titled 'Council to consider allowing alcohol consumption in city parks', published Jan. 30.
For over the past 30 years I have tried to stop people from drinking alcohol and then driving. Unfortunately this has totally failed. We continue to see deaths and injuries and increases in alcohol impaired driving to this day, and over the past many years, and yet elected politicians are supporting policies that will contribute to increases in the consumption of alcohol.
Drinking alcohol and then driving has caused countless tragedies that have devastated countless innocent families and communities. People who drink alcohol do not seem able to comprehend and understand that it is a criminal offence to drink and drive; it also should not be condoned by society or elected politicians as it is criminal to drink alcohol and then drive.
It was reported in the news that there was a 31 per cent increase in alcohol impaired driving collisions in 2023. There is no doubt in my mind that we will continue to see increases in people consuming alcohol and then driving, and it is very disappointing to read that elected politicians are supporting this policy to allow greater access of alcohol and places to consume it.
This will cause further increases in deaths and injuries on all our roads and highways caused by people who will continue to drink alcohol and then drive.
