The Cook Islands man who organised a campaign against compulsory helmets in 2008, Nga Puna, says a social problem like heavy drinking won't be solved by forcing people on motorbikes to wear helmets.
His comment to the Cook Islands News comes amid calls for a re-think on the issue after a spate of accidents.
Three people, including a New Zealand soldier, died in the past weeks in separate scooter accidents.
Mr Puna, who is a senior strategic planner at the Central Policy and Planning Office, says unless the problem of drinking and driving is addressed nothing will change.
He says wearing a helmet isn't going to make it better.
