C J Campbell wrote:
"Brian Burger" wrote in message
ia.tc.ca...

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004, C J Campbell wrote:


"Jim Fisher" wrote in message
. ..

"C J Campbell" wrote in

message

It is not the alcohol that is considered beneficial.

Not true. The healthful benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have

been

well established for about a hundred years now.


As a child of alcoholic parents I have a rather dark view of any

supposed

'benefits' from drinking alcohol.

*Moderate* alcohol consumption, C.J., *moderate*. Alcoholics aren't known
for moderation.


Surprisingly, many are. Be that as it may, I have spent three of the last
five Christmas days in the hospital, visiting alcoholics who are on
respirators or who are locked in "First Ward South" at Harrison Hospital. I
spend an inordinate amount of time counseling kids who have become pregnant
after "moderate" alcohol consumption. Most of my life, when I am not
teaching flying or taking time for photography, is spent in the hospital, in
court, in convalescent centers and elsewhere, dealing with family abuse,
drunk drivers, broken homes, unwanted pregnancies, drug dependencies, and
many other problems. And you know what? Every single one of these people
thinks that a couple of drinks a day is beneficial to their health.

My life would be a lot easier without alcohol.


I understand both sides. My grandfather on my mother's side was an
alcoholic; My mother dislikes alcohol. Ther was a heavy drinker on my
wife's side of the family; my wife is concerned about alcohol. My
brother is an alcoholic. I can see how "moderation" can be a problem if
a person "has" to have a martini upon arriving home from work. That is
one side of the issue.

The other side is that every male in my family has had a heart attack
except me. My father and grandfather died of heart attacks, by uncle
had a heart attack and bypass surgery, my brother was in cardiac care
when he "coded". I had 90% blockage and have had a stent inserted. The
studies I have seen say that both the antioxidents in grape skin "and"
alcohol are good for heart health. I like wine with dinner and, due to
my family history, I would like to assure that I get at least one glass
of wine per day. I just don't get around to it every day. I suppose
my average is about 3-4 glasses per week.

There is no answer to the abuse issue that you raised. We will never
remove alcohol from society. From what I have seen, most abuse issues
are related, not to the alcohol, but rather to addictive personality
traits. I believe the most success is not in attacking alcohol or
drugs, but the personality trait. The most successful seem to be
replacing a destrucive obsession with a possitive obsession.