Alcohol Abuse - Alcohol Causes Serious Illness & Death, Depression, Brain Diseases &

kerrymorgan

Hi,

Been thinking about this for a long time, Tobacco and Alcohol sales, especially alcohol, mainly spirits.

We're all aware of the damage smoking causes, serious health issues, heart complaints, often resulting in death, from cancer caused by smoking. What kind of people in there right minds, if they had the power, would allow something so dangerous to be sold over the counter to the general public?

They know this product can kill you or most likely will cause you serious harm through your own stupidity, because of your addiction to that product. Putting up the price or making it only over 18's or 21's will not stop someone that is addicted to the product from purchasing it. governments know this.

On the other hand, alcohol is consumed on a massive scale in Ireland every day, week, month, year.

But what about the people that have serious alcohol addiction issues, they can't stop themselves, a lot of them will probably die because of it. Most of them will have fallen at some point, causing more problems, eventually they will be demented, sick and depressed because of their addiction.

None of these off-licenses, supermarkets care about this, you could be destroyed because of alcohol, on your last days on earth and still get your last fix at Tesco. If people are causing themselves serious health issues because of a product they purchased in your store, the store owner should be held responsible
when something happens these people, when they're in hospital or when they die because of the product you sold them, am I right or wrong?

There is no way for the staff in a supermarket to know who has health issues because of alcohol, but most people that buy spirits have alcohol issues. They won't admit it but most likely, someone that has to purchase spirits every day, or every other day, has problems with alcohol. The same goes for people that can't get through one night without a few glasses of wine, or bottle, try telling them they have drink issues.

I have been around alcoholics all my life, and in my younger years, everyone I knew was on some kind of drug, I smoked some too, got hooked, quit drugs, got hooked on spirits, didn't care about my life and luckily one day, I just stopped, people still don't believe me, I'm just happy.

I know a lot of people out there may have issues with alcohol, I come from a generation of drinkers, family and friends. I have seen people dying because of tobacco related illnesses and alcohol related injuries, suicides and liver cancer etc. Everyone I know drinks, they can't even go out for a meal or a chat unless alcohol is involved. A slab of cans before bed seems to be the norm, if you say anything, they're like "I worked hard, I'm entitled to a few". Yea you are, drink yourself stupid again, but you're in denial about your addictions, you've convinced yourself its normal.

You'll always be wrong when you're trying to talk with someone in that situation.

I understand people like to socialize, celebrate and have a few drinks, I have done that for years.

Having a drink with your friends and drinking yourself to death are two completely different things.
My people would laugh at me if I told someone I quit drinking they can't understand why I don't
want to be around people that have to drink to socialize, well I do, because I go to a lot of gigs.
I just don't like talking to drunk people, most of them become complete idiots in my opinion.

When you see someone your care about, or even "love" destroy themselves with drink, mainly spirits,
You just know they're on a down hill spiral, it doesn't matter how much you try to help them or how
much you care or try convince them or embarrass them into quitting, drink is all them care about.

How do you feel knowing your loved one can go to Tesco or any other off-license and buy that same
product again that you know is completely destroying their life, maybe they will fall down the stairs.
Maybe split their head open, bust their bones, eventually be so depressed they're minds are sick, 
That's what off-licenses and supermarkets are selling the general public.
An invitation to get completely addicted to a substance that may well kill you.

So, if someone your loved, died because of alcohol, that was bought at a local store,
What would you do about it, knowing that your loved one got sick and died because
of a substance sold to them at Tesco or Lidl or any other supermarket with an off-license.

What should we do about it in an effort to prevent people we care about becoming alcoholics.

Put it this way, if your dad or your mom or your brother or a friend got sick and died because of
some drugs they got from someone on the street, the police would be out looking for them.

What can we do to help people with serious alcohol addiction?
The AA will tell you the person with the addiction has to want to quit.
In my experience there are not many alcoholics that will admit they even have a problem.

I could say the same about drugs but that's not the point in my thread.
In my humble opinion, I've seen people in many different states, and honestly I haven't seen
anything as disastrous as watching someone deteriorate from alcohol, once they become helpless.

Alcoholism is a disease that causes brain damage and other health issues, often resulting in death.

I hope you think about that when you're serving customers at the off-license.


Thank you for reading.

endacl

And your point is...?

RobFowl

endacl wrote: »

And your point is...?

I think the points are clear and well made.
If you have something to add feel free to make your point, if not just read and keep stumm..

Rob

PMBC

The problem is most alcoholics dont see this until they are in the middle of it. To an outsider, who can drink 'normally' or who abstains it seems the solution is very simple - just stop drinking. And that is the solution; but its not simple or easy to do. When you are addicted psychologically it is very difficult o think any way rationally and physically it is very difficult to stop. After a few failed attempts I was very lucky that my GP had faith enough in me to help me with very short term medication to get me over the hurdle of the first few days. Since then, about 30 or more years ago, it gets easier every day.I dont blame publicans or off licensees most of who's custoemrs dont have a problem. But it must be undesrtood that for everyone to whom they sell, they are dealing in a very dangerous product e.g. those who are not addicted but drive while intoxicated. The passage of recent legislation shows the vested business interests in keeping things unchanged. And I do have sympathy for the bachelor and elderly farmers and rural dwellers for whom the pub is the only social outlet they have.
To the original poster, well done and I appreciated what you have written.