I thought this article, "How Secondhand Drinking Ruins Lives," reminded me of a lot I knew but haven't seen in the media, and also made me think a few things I hadn't realized before. Lots to think about, for me.
Here are a few quotes:
Last week, the Alcohol Research Group at the Public Health Institute in Emeryville, California, published research showing that 53 million Americans each year experience harm from another individuals alcohol use. That is one in four men, and one in five women....
Secondhand smoking really changed public opinion and paved the way for legislation to make bars and public places smoke-free, says Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance and the director of the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research. There is undoubtedly harm from secondhand smoke, but the range and magnitude of harms is likely to be even greater from alcohol.
Thanks for sharing, Mattie. I'm glad the field is starting to open up, and I'm happy to see the media giving this topic some attention. Lots for me to think about with this article as well.
Aloha said
Jul 9, 2019
Interesting read. Thank you for sharing, Mattie.
That's definitely a new way to phrase being affected by someone else's drinking: Secondhand Drinking.
I think what works so well with the secondhand smoking campaign is that people recognize and easily spot the health risks of being around someone who is smoking. The smoke itself is a clear enough red flag that something unpleasant is going on and seeping into your body, even if you're not the one doing the smoking.
The health risks of being around someone who is drinking are less obvious. Those risks tend to be more emotional and mental while the physical risks (physical abuse, drunk driving accidents, etc.) just apparently aren't viewed as being dangerous enough. They figure the alcoholic just lost control that one time, but the rest of the time the alcoholic's drinking doesn't harm anyone but the alcoholic his- or herself.
I still don't know what the solutions to this will be, if ever there will be. I can only imagine how many law-makers are alcoholics themselves - knowingly or unknowingly - and the thought of losing or paying more for their crutch probably scares the daylights out of them. So they'll downplay the dangers.
This is why Al-Anon is so important for me. It lets me take charge of what's going on in my own life, at least - not waiting for other people outside of me to change so I can be okay.
I wish the article would have given a nod to Al-Anon.
Mattie said
Jul 9, 2019
Yes, I'm kind of surprised the article didn't mention Al-Anon. Thinking more about it, I think what I found refreshing is that usually you read about the danger that drinking presents to the drinker, and the problems it causes to others are mostly ignored, or, as Aloha says, treated as one-time accidents. Alcoholism is like a bomb exploding: if you're in the vicinity, you can be hurt. It was nice to see someone acknowledge this.
I thought this article, "How Secondhand Drinking Ruins Lives," reminded me of a lot I knew but haven't seen in the media, and also made me think a few things I hadn't realized before. Lots to think about, for me.
Here are a few quotes:
Last week, the Alcohol Research Group at the Public Health Institute in Emeryville, California, published research showing that 53 million Americans each year experience harm from another individuals alcohol use. That is one in four men, and one in five women....
Secondhand smoking really changed public opinion and paved the way for legislation to make bars and public places smoke-free, says Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance and the director of the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research. There is undoubtedly harm from secondhand smoke, but the range and magnitude of harms is likely to be even greater from alcohol.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/08/how-secondhand-drinking-ruins-lives-every-family-has-been-touched-by-this
That's definitely a new way to phrase being affected by someone else's drinking: Secondhand Drinking.
I think what works so well with the secondhand smoking campaign is that people recognize and easily spot the health risks of being around someone who is smoking. The smoke itself is a clear enough red flag that something unpleasant is going on and seeping into your body, even if you're not the one doing the smoking.
The health risks of being around someone who is drinking are less obvious. Those risks tend to be more emotional and mental while the physical risks (physical abuse, drunk driving accidents, etc.) just apparently aren't viewed as being dangerous enough. They figure the alcoholic just lost control that one time, but the rest of the time the alcoholic's drinking doesn't harm anyone but the alcoholic his- or herself.
I still don't know what the solutions to this will be, if ever there will be. I can only imagine how many law-makers are alcoholics themselves - knowingly or unknowingly - and the thought of losing or paying more for their crutch probably scares the daylights out of them. So they'll downplay the dangers.
This is why Al-Anon is so important for me. It lets me take charge of what's going on in my own life, at least - not waiting for other people outside of me to change so I can be okay.
I wish the article would have given a nod to Al-Anon.
Yes, I'm kind of surprised the article didn't mention Al-Anon. Thinking more about it, I think what I found refreshing is that usually you read about the danger that drinking presents to the drinker, and the problems it causes to others are mostly ignored, or, as Aloha says, treated as one-time accidents. Alcoholism is like a bomb exploding: if you're in the vicinity, you can be hurt. It was nice to see someone acknowledge this.