We don’t see alcohol as the problem; it’s a solution

Sport has survived the ban on cigarette sponsorship; why wouldn’t it survive an alcohol ban? Images: Daily Mail Australia and The Courier Mail

Not long ago I attended my first AA meeting. Before you get the wrong idea: The event was organised to give health professionals a better understanding of the important work Alcoholics Anonymous does.

During lunch, one of the organisers said to me: “You doctors keep referring to alcohol as the ‘problem’, but alcoholics see it as a ‘solution’. That’s a major source of misunderstanding.” It was one of the lessons I was hoping to take away from the meeting.

The reason I attended is the number of alcohol related problems I see in my practice. Not a day goes by without hearing personal tragedies caused by booze. And what’s worrying: all ages are affected. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that about five million Australians aged…