SOCIETY WILFULLY BLIND TO ABUSES OF ALCOHOL

Writing as a former addictions counsellor and current member of the
Comox Valley Community Drug Strategy Committee, I must commend the
Times-Colonist for the excellent series, Blind Drunk -- Our Bond with
Alcohol, which has been running for the past number of days.

It's about time that we took a serious look at our most lethal (yet
legal) drug. And alcohol is a drug, and possesses all the
mind-altering and destructive properties of our believed-to-be
demonic street drugs.

How many parents have expressed virtual relief that a child was
involved in the misuse of booze rather than some illicit narcotic?

"Well, at least he or she wasn't using drugs" is how it goes.

The point is he or she was using drugs.

As the series pointed out, alcohol takes a much heavier toll on
health and lives than do all street drugs combined, despite our
obsession with them.

Last year the provincial government offered huge grants to community
groups that were addressing the issue of crystal meth.

Yet, nothing has been forthcoming to address the misuse and abuse of alcohol.

Meth is a relatively small issue on Vancouver Island.

Booze is huge, a fact to which our police and courts will attest.

Again, well done.

Now all it will take will be for somebody to actually pay attention
and wonder why our misuse has increased along with the liberalization
of access over the past decade.

Ian Lidster,

Comox.