KEY POINTS:
Patricia Duncan has become so alarmed at the effects of alcohol that she has become a teetotaller.
Mrs Duncan, who helped to gather signatures for a petition against a proposed new liquor store in Mt Roskill before Christmas, has a 22-year-old adopted son who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome because of his mother's drinking.
"They can't think things through clearly," she says. "They are not clear on consequences. There are huge numbers of people who suffer from it."
She and her husband both drank alcohol when they were younger but they have now given it up.
"We just see that there are so many people that need protecting from it, and I think if you want people to change you have to be prepared to make some sacrifices yourself," she says.
"People can say, 'It's all right for me to drink but that person shouldn't drink.' Well, if it's not all right for that person to drink, the rest of us should make some sacrifice to try to help that person not to drink. It could be putting the price up, or fewer outlets."
* Alcohol and Drug Helpline, 0800 787 797.
*Addiction services directory
