Alcoholism: genetic culpability or social irresponsibility, the challenge of innovative methods to determine final outcomes

ABSTRACT

... It is a fact that in the real world, the variance in alcohol consumption has to be shared among many factors, that it is better to adopt a holistic scientific approach to getting a firm grip on the study. In so doing we would be in a stronger position to understand the alcohol problem or even to beat it. Policy-makers believe that they have to spend a mountain of resources on alcoholism, since they do not know where the true (significant) variance lies. I feel nothing is further from the truth. The fact is that one can undertake specific measures to curb unneccessary overindulgence in alcohol consumption, by attempting to identify and analyze new variables or old ones that have not been sufficiently operationalized or explored. This book attempts to debate whether excessive alcohol consumption is a deliberate and voluntary pastime engaged in by persons as a hobby; or serves as a temporary relief from daily problems that have become too heavy a burden; or an uncontrollable substance descending upon unsuspecting at-risk individuals. I think it is the task of the sociologist to put this argument into perspective. I am putting the issue squarely is it genetic culpability or social irresponsibility, shared at both the individual and governmental levels? (AU)