Comments on: Drugs and alcohol

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:54:05 +0000

I worked in the licensed trade in the late sixties & seventies. I became an accredited counsellor to people with alcohol problems in the eighties, although I am retired now.
I feel that drink licenses are given out too freely, and the licensing courts are not strict enough. The laws already exist that it is an offense to sell alcohol to someone under the influence – yet young people every weekend in every major city & town can drink until they are unfit to stand. Every supermarket & corner shop has a license – alcohol is too freely available and the real cost is much less than it was 10 years ago. When shops have been found guilty of selling to under-age (as our corner shop has, on more than one occasion) they should not have their license suspended for a few months – it should be removed altogether. I enjoy watching “soaps” – but the action takes place round The Rovers Return, The Queen Vic, or The Tall Ship. The media should be more careful about the messages it sends out.
My main concern is that children are drinking earlier in life and that more of them are becoming dependent on alcohol – they cannot seem to enjoy themselves without it. Why do discos need to be licensed at all? Dance Halls in the past managed to be crowded every weekend (we had to queue in Glasgow to get in) and not one of them served alcohol. I realise we cannot turn the clock back, but I do feel that the licensing of premises needs to be looked at again.

By: kevin

kevin — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:50:40 +0000

I Have seen the connection between drug and alcohol addiction and the financial and social issues it causes. Its no joke, if you let your body get addicted to harmful substances such as drugs or alcohol you are bound to have some part of your life unravel.Narconon Vista Baygave me a crystal clear view of what I was doing to my body and he people around me. There some issues in life you have to keep balanced and drugs can cause a huge mess in that balance. Life can be hard to confront from time to time but turning to drugs as a solution is the worst thing you can do. Seek help if you see your self falling into a trend of abuse.

By: Lora

Lora — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:09:12 +0000

For addicts, the pain and hunger for the substance is like a dying hunger for food! Though we must understand how they become addicted to drugs or alcohol in the first place.

The substance is a quick getaway from the stressful dealings in life. Many find it hard to deal with and resort to drugs and alcohol.
The first crucial step is taking the step to getting treatment! Following the treatment is the commitment to receive the after care program and continuing it.

Lora
http://www.drug-rehab.ca/

By: B. Williams

B. Williams — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:25:42 +0000

There is a popular misconception that drugs, including alcohol, are problems. This false idea is one of the biggest barriers to solving substance abuse.
Having made that controversial statement, let me explain what I mean.
The biggest reason for people wanting to take substances in the first place is that they are perceived as solutions to life. They take a place as anaesthetics or distractions to the real problems people face. This will often be denied, but a closer look will reveal that it is probably invariably true.
There is no question that drug and alochol misuse should in themselves be regarded as wrongs, but merely concentrating on them as basic wrongs will never be the whole answer.
We need to look at the false answers frequently offered by psychology and psychiatry and question whether this is the way forward.
Any truly effective answer to drugs will entail a look at the person’s whole life and put them on the track of personal development, not just “becoming better adjusted”.
Check out http://www.narconon.com for some real solutions.

By: George Ruston

George Ruston — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:34:46 +0000

Two thoughts for now.

First, is enough being done to make alcohol-free choices socially acceptable? My opinion is that much more could be done but that it also needs adults to participate so that role modelling and peer influence forces can work positively. At its most basic, we all need to show that alcohol-free options are something to be valued.

Second, where is tobacco? For a substance that is linked to 114,000 deaths each year (ASH stats I think) it seems to get missed off the list quite often. The Government’s Drugs Strategy seems to have included alcohol (about time) but doesn’t say anything about dealing with or preveting the harm associated with nicotine.

As for solutions, I would suggest much more investment in community based alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug education/prevention work, reaching out to voluntary groups (including faith groups)and harnessing the potential contained within the time of their members and their organisational structures.

By: Kevin P. Jones

Kevin P. Jones — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:22:49 +0000

The tax on alcohol should be directly related to its strength. This might encourage the entertainment industry to sell greater quantities of low strength drinks, thus encouraging greater true social intercourse rather than drinking to excess.

By: Barrie Singleton

Barrie Singleton — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:44:12 +0000

JOSEPH ROWNTREE – ERIC BERNE

Joseph Rowntree called upon us all to seek out the fundamental causes of weakness and evil in society.
Eric Berne gave us a succinct view of self-and-others; the tool required to achieve the above aim.

I would assert that (whether evil comes from social incompetence or – if such is your view – from letting the Devil in) its root cause IS weakness; the weakness of the individual.

In Berne’s terms, weakness amounts to an under-developed Adult ego state* in the psyche; a condition I see as pertaining all over the planet. The two terrible truths of society, are: (1) individual weakness is increasing, and (2) the overcompensating-weak, rise to positions of power. Consequently, any corrective effort must reach out directly to the very young as the Powers That Be are, instinctively, fearful of general empowerment.

I have synthesised an approach. It can be found http://www.barriesingleton.co.uk as outlined in 1995 to Rowntree. Click on “Visionary Stuff”.

Only wisdom empowers; cleverness is inclined to enslave. Development of a strong Adult ego state engenders wisdom and is vital to individual, family, group, state and world stability. Adult strength is the ultimate answer to every weakness and evil.

* Transactional Analysis http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/ta.htm

By: David Easton

David Easton — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:07:00 +0000

Drugs and alchohol misuse is not a disease it is a sympton they are what we turn to when we lose self raspect and self satisfaction nor is it confined to those in poverty often it appears to be used to subdue a bad conscience or guilt why else would those who have more than their share of lifes needs seek oblivion in drink or drugs?

By: David Raynes

David Raynes — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:16:33 +0000

I could not disagree more with Derek-the first poster here, drawing false parralels bewteen alcohol and the illegal drugs is at the very heart of the increasing problem the UK has with illegal drugs. Alcohol can certainly be very harmful and the UK has a distinctly worse problem with it than other societies where use is accepted, but in those societies where there are religious, social or legal taboos against its use, there is much less total harm from it. We should learn from that and we should beware of those who have campaigned for years for legalisation and liberalisation of the illegal drugs. Those drugs are illegal because they are harmful not harmful because they are illegal. There is a substantial number of people involved in trying to trivialise drug use, to normalise it and ultimately to legalise them all. It is a mistake and the public have woken up to the dangers of it. That debate is surely over. Sanity has started to come back.

By: What are today’s social evils? « Drug Education News

What are today’s social evils? « Drug Education News — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:40 +0000

[...] today’s social evils? One of the answers they’ve had back suggests that people think that drugs and alcohol should [...]