Panel Discusses Aspects Of Alcoholism

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30769, 5 June 1965, Page 16

Panel Discusses Aspects Of Alcoholism

Do New Zealand drinking habits contribute to the incidence of alcoholism? Should parents offer drink to their teen-age children? Do penal institutions provide sufficient special instruction for those convicted of offences involving alcoholism?

These were among the questions considered by a fiveman panel at the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the National Society on Alcoholism. Members of the panel were the medical superintendent at the Sunnyside Hospital (Dr. E. T. Hall), Mr K. H J. Headifen, S.M., the deputy-chairman of the so- ’ ciety’s management commit- ' tee (Mr L. W. Warren), and Commander R. R. Beauchamp

The panel chairman (Mr J. G. Leggat) emphasised that views expressed by members were personal, and not necessarily representative of the departments or organisa-j tions to which they belonged Questions discussed, with] the chairman's summing-up. | included:— Would parents who used j alcohol in a temperate I manner be in order in allow-] ing their teen-age children to have an occasional alcoholic drink with them? Commander Beauchamp: On occasions only, and always within the family. Mr Warren: Where it was| the custom for parents to take drink, such as wine at | meals. Their children could j learn in this way to approach j alcohol as a part of gracious • living. Mr Headifen: There was a ■ lot to commend the view that j the home was where children I could be taught to drink | nroperly. He suggested an age limit of 19. While such limits were difficult to fix. the child should be at some advanced stage of maturity when introducted to alcohoi

The introduction should take j place in the home, but the ’longer it could be delayed the better. Dr. Hall: “1 strongly believe in treating adolescents ■n as adult a way as possible When one does this they tend to measure up to it, and behave in an adult way themselves.” Summing-up: In general. I it was preferable to introduce, teen-agers to alcohol in the I i home, under the control and ; guidance of the parents who j introduced it to them. What were the most press-! ing aspects of dealing with alcoholism on a national basis? Mr Warren: Eduration, or I accurate information. In many cases victims of alco holism were unaware of what : was happening to them until ! they were particular!' distressed and helpless. Education or information probably would not stop alcoholism, 1

but he thought it would reduce it. Di. Hall: There was a great need to revise unrealistic attitudes towards I alcohol—for example, the I view that a person who did not drink was unmanly, or a “poor sport ” Commander Beauchamp Liquor advertisements in glossy magazines were frequently shocking. “1 have been horror-struck by the amount of money spent in pushing drink, regardless of truth, or decency, let alone common sense. The liquor trade should be curbed, so that it was not too profitable. He strongly advocated the trust system. Summing-up: Informed education was a fundamental requirement. coupled with a general restraint on the liberty, amounting to licence, taken in some advertising to promote the taking of alcohol Was sufficient provision made in our penal institutions for the special instruction of] offenders convicted of offences’ involving drunkenness or alco-! holism? j Mr Headifen: “1 think the!

answer is ‘no’.” This should! by no means be taken as criti-] cism of the administration of penal institutions, which had! not been designed to deal! with alcoholics. This raised 1

the question whether alcoholism should be dealt with under criminal law at all. In his opinion, it should not. He emphasised that this was purely his personal view. Mr Leggat: Prisons were not appropriate to deal with i alcoholism, any more than ] with homosexuality. The panel agreed that New Zealand drinking habits undoubtedly contributed materially, though not exclusively, to the incidence of alcoholism in the community. Instruction on “the dangers that could lurk in the practice of social drinking” was primarily the responsibility of parents, the panel decided. However, as this responsibility was not always discharged by them, there was a case for including such instruction in the curricula of secondary schools. The use of teaching aids such as films with an alcoholic who would not admit he could not control his drinking, if such an admission was essential before successful treatment. Whatever else should be done, there ought not to be a ! punitive infringement of his ! liberty or rights, it concluded, i Nevertheless, some realisaj tion that he needed help I should be instilled.

In thanking the members of the panel, the chairman of the society (Dr. E. B. Reilly) said that all their findings were practically in line with the society’s.