Alcoholism Information For N.Z. Schools

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30130, 14 May 1963, Page 15

Alcoholism Information For N.Z. Schools

The Education Department was noit unaware of the activities to have information on alcoholism introduced into school curriculums, nor was it unaware of its responsibility in this respect. The department had more than a passing interest in this and had done "a whale of a Lot of work” on it, a vice-president of the National Society on Alcoholism (Mr L. W. Warren) told the annual meeting of the society’s Canterbury branch last evening.

He said the department had designed something especially for New Zealand schools’ curriculums and it was only a question of time before it would be introduced. At present the department had a considerable amount of literature on the subject in hand for their own information. Concern at the spread ■of alcoholism to the younger age groups had been under discussion by the members present. One woman member, a school teacher, said she knew of a 13-year-old girl who was on the way to becoming an alcoholic. She said she would like to see information regarding the disease introduced among girl pupils as well as boys. Not “Drunken Bum” People were becoming aware of the problem but hesitated to do anything about it when they knew someone afflicted with the disease, in case they did the wrong thing. "There are still people who have the idea the alcoholic is, to use the American term, a drunken bum, which is not true,” said Mr Warren,

This year, he considered, had been more successful than any previous year in providing the primary education people wanted about alcoholism.

"Everywhere you go there are groups who want to know all they can about it

so they can help the sufferer and the family of the sufferer,” he said.

In the last year the society had been partially successful in bridging the gap between the suffering and professional people who held the store of knowledge which would help them. Mr Warren said he had recently been on a tour of the West Coast where a great deal of interest had been shown in his talks on alcoholism. During the last year much emphasis had been put on reaching young people with Information cn the disease, because it was the spread to the younger age group that was mostly concerning the society. Only eight persons, including the chairman and secretatry, attended the meeting. Last year 26 persons attended.

Dr. E. B. Reilly was reelected chairman. Other officers elected were: —Deputychairman, Dr. F. O. Bennett; executive, Mr J. S. Callenan. Dr. R. C. S. Dick. Mrs C Truman, the Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. W A. Pyatt), Brigadier F. W. Hay, Dr. Bennett. Dr. Reilly. Father A. O’Reilly. Messrs Warren, T. E. Roff, W. Rothwell, G. Hopkinson. D. Barrett, A. P. Blair, S.M.