Battle the Bottle

Editorial:- The festive season is upon us; a season which will be as much about piety as it will be about excesses, making it perhaps the right time to speak about alcoholism. The cops appear to already be on the issue, at play with the new breathalyzer toy they have been given, stopping vehicles and requiring people to blow into the equipment at random. One could argue about the many levels at which such random stopping [without any apparent reason] for random checks is wrong, but that we leave for another day. For now, let’s return to alcoholism since the topic as been broached. This problem is not talked about enough probably because it is substance abuse and HIV/ AIDS which receive funding, leading unfortunately to a situation where it is not be discussed as a problem anymore. But a problem it is. Many people tend to identify alcoholism as a traditional dispensation of the Hill/ Hill People. This is an ill-informed preconception since alcoholism [as a wide-spread problem] could not have debuted in the hills more than half a century or six decades at the most. Alcoholism really becomes possible with the arrival of the IMFLs [India Made Foreign Liquors] since the local brews required too much work and time to be manufactured in enough quantities to feed the alcoholism on a scale that is now possible and common. It is hence wrong to begin any discussion on alcoholism as a traditional weakness of the Hill People. The communities here might have allowed ‘drinking’, but that cannot be construed as addictive levels of drinking. The prejudice, however, because it serves so many businesses so well, has been allowed to set in and after it was ignored in the initial years [of IMFLs and other mass distilling units arriving], spread rapidly to ingrain itself in the society.
The damage wreaked by alcoholism cannot be stressed enough and media here should carry forward its success with getting the problem of substance abuse addressed and report more effectively and widely on the abuse, that of alcohol, which is just as impairing. The media, when even it overlooks the problem of alcoholism in the society, ends up reflecting the social acceptance of this malaise. Few people are disturbed in Sikkim when a colleague turns up for work reeking of alcohol. The only response that an alcoholic evokes are snide remarks and behind the back jokes. There is still no worried concern, or so it appears. Sikkim’s indifference towards this problem will weigh heavy on its collective conscience some day.
Many excuse alcoholism with the argument that the person is earning enough to indulge himself/ herself. Substance abuse, because it usually starts at a much younger age, is more scandalous because of the petty crimes that the addicts invariably resort to finance their addictions. With alcoholics, the harm is more to themselves and their professions. While there is no denying the fact that substance abuse is a serious concern, alcoholism, because not enough seem to be taking it seriously, is even more worrying. Even if one were to keep the emotions aside, the impact alcoholism has on the economy should attract correction action. Most people turn alcoholic in what should be the most productive years of their lives, both professionally as well as a family. When their faculties are compromised, as alcoholism is wont to do, their work suffers as does their family. Those who argue that alcohol boosts creativity or energizes them to work better, or, at times relax, if their dependence is severe, are only peddling excuses to cover up for their weakness and the rest find refuge in these excuses to cover up for their vacuity towards the problem. Too much is put at risk with this indifference because like with all social problems, alcoholism does not affect only the individual but has the entire family suffering. While the younger ‘addict’ makes the elders of the family suffer guilt pangs, an alcoholic, because in most cases they are working members of the family, end up abusing the family [because they have more ‘power’ and control]. Sometimes, while the elders can just ignore the rants of an alcoholic, the younger ones are scarred forever by the trauma. This is a social problem and requires the community to step forward and engage proactively in its battle against the bottle. Sadly, in Sikkim, even the war-cary has not been sounded yet…