TODAY I will be finishing my alcohol series with what might be the most important information. While personal responsibility to both education and health is extremely important, societal responsibility makes a bigger impact, reaching a wider demographic while also influencing and increasing the personal aspect.

I’ve been reading some articles that express the government’s want to decrease alcohol abuse. I don’t know their specific aims and objectives but I do know what’s proven to successfully achieve this all around the world.

This is what we will talk about today- how lawmakers, policy and society as a whole can diminish substance abuse.

Before anyone gets upset, I want to remind you all about the societal consequences of alcohol abuse. We tend to think it doesn’t affect us if we (or someone we love) are not directly in the path of addiction and sadly we couldn’t be more wrong.

The heavy use of alcohol increases crime, domestic violence, spreading of diseases, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, road traffic accidents, loss of productivity and suicide. Every one of us has been affected by at least one of these events.

Many of us know that Guyana lacks resources to conduct many of its own research but in this case, we do not need to. We can use the data and findings from studies done in other countries to influence a change in our own policies.

Public awareness and education is always the best starting point.

This includes anything from drug programmes in schools, to public service announcements on the harms of alcohol use and abuse. It is important for everyone to know the most serious risk factors associated with use or abuse.

A MAJOR CAUSE OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IS ACCESSIBILITY.
The Drug Information Network determined that the average Guyanese begins to drink at just nine years old. Alcohol is one of the easiest things to obtain in Guyana- selling at any time, almost anywhere.

Countries such as Canada have restricted and lowered the number of places where alcohol is sold as well as the times available. In Toronto, there are alcohol-only stores which close at 21:00hrs. It is almost impossible to purchase alcohol after that.

Most countries also have a strictly enforced ban on anyone purchasing alcohol under the age of 18. In Guyana, it’s 16 but this is certainly not enforced.

If you own a business or work in retail, do your part by not selling alcohol to anyone under this age.

In most countries, it is also illegal to drink in open or public areas such as any public roads, parks, zoos, etc. The fact that we can not only consume but actually purchase alcohol in most of these places is worrying.

I think the 02:00hrs last call or ‘curfew’ that everyone loves so much (sarcasm) is an attempt at lowering use through accessibility. However, we can still obtain alcohol at any corner shop or gas station at any time.

A specific study conducted in Sweden proved this quite clearly where the alcohol consumption of a specific community was polled for an extensive period of time.
After the first survey, alcohol was allowed to be sold in supermarkets. The use of alcohol was increased by 15 per cent when it was more convenient to obtain. They reversed this law eight years later and it dropped again by the same 15 percent.

The same study also resulted in a decrease in road traffic accidents and hospital admissions on a whole.

THE AFFORDABILITY OF ALCOHOL IS ALSO A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON CONSUMPTION.
One particular study done in five-plus countries found that a 10 per cent increase in alcohol prices resulted in a 4.4 per cent decrease in use. This may be irrelevant in Guyana as one can still obtain cheaper or lower quality alcohol. This is why many countries set a Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) on alcohol, so that no type of alcohol can be bought below a certain price.

STRICT BEHAVIOURAL LAWS HAVE ALSO DRASTICALLY DECREASED THE USE OF ALCOHOL.

These include strict penalties for drunk driving, public intoxication as well as public accountability.
Many people do not understand the concept of the legal alcohol limit, so let’s just say that if you have more than two standard drinks you are no longer legally allowed to drive.
In many countries, it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone who is currently intoxicated.
Many places have a three drink limit per person, with the business or bartender libel if any consequences came from over-serving alcohol to anyone.

The advertising of alcohol also results in heavier use. Many countries do not air these radio or television commercials during the day as it can send the wrong message and be appealing to youth as these have been determined to increase use.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the alcohol industry has more resources to influence than most governments. Of course, the goal is not to undersell your product but to simply send a message about healthier and more responsible drinking; help society make more informed decisions.

A good way to do this is warning labels on products. An informational warning label on both alcohol and cigarettes has drastically decreased use in other countries.

It is important for us all to note that it is the government’s job to only create these laws while it is ours to enforce them. We often tend to forget societal accountability and responsibility. If these were strictly enforced, alcohol use, as well as the consequences of it, would decrease.

Alcohol and other drugs, school educational programmes are the best places to start as it is the number one factor in behavioural change.

Much research has shown that school, as well as the influences in it, have just as much effect on one’s development as home life does. Lessons on the truth about alcohol, its effects, consequences, as well as ways to say no, would drastically decrease use.
This shouldn’t just be a one-time session but continuous throughout school life.

Alcohol screening by anyone in the health field can also make a massive difference. Many people experience physical or mental problems but have not been able to credit alcohol for them, due to a number of reasons with low education and cultural acceptance only a few.
Anyone going to see ANY health professional, regardless of the reason, should go through alcohol abuse screening.

There are two very common screening tools used around the world – the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) or the Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST). While AUDIT is more detailed and effective, it takes a much longer time and so many use the FAST. I strongly suggest that every health care entity, including government agencies, implement this as both can be used to identify dangerous patterns of drinking and can make a difference early on.

There are many other options but let’s start there!

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com

Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!
Suicide Prevention Helpline – 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444 or 600-7896
Do not be afraid to reach out!