Dear Editor,
The editorial in SN on Thursday, August 5, ‘Alcoholism and domestic violence’ reflects the problems which we have dealing with alcohol and the chains which language has imposed on Guyana.
There is a tendency to view ‘alcoholism’ as the only problem which alcohol causes in Guyana, or sometimes ‘alcohol abuse.’ How these are defined, varies from person to person and from professional field to professional field. Many of the people whose violence is fuelled by alcohol are not alcoholic, and many of their friends and servers would probably not say that they are ‘abusing’ alcohol. The alcohol levels which are to be identified as ‘illegal’ in drunk drivers, would probably not be considered levels for ‘abusers’ of alcohol in other circumstances.
Magistrate Ramroop has made it loud and clear, what is known in many places in Guyana, that alcohol use, not abuse, not alcoholism, but use, is contributing to the levels of domestic violence and to other problems in Guyana. In the early days of the domestic violence work here, we were told using Northern statistics (lies, damned lies and statistics) that there was no correlation between alcohol use and domestic violence. But as we moved around the country and opened the discussion, Guyanese people, especially in the ‘Indian’ communities were vocal, and clear about alcohol use and domestic violence. People could get distracted in the debate to decide when alcohol use becomes abuse. In a recent discussion with some Peace Corps Volunteers who are working in various hinterland communities, alcohol ranked high on their list of concerns as it related to causes of domestic violence.
There is no doubt that some users of alcohol are not abusive and that some perpetrators of violence are not under the influence of alcohol or any substance. But what Magistrate Ramroop, and many other Guyanese have said time and time again, is that reducing alcohol consumption and even perhaps removing it all together will go a far way towards reducing the levels of domestic and other forms of violence we are facing in our communities and the society as a whole, and generally making life a bit better for us. We might start to think of other activities which could contribute to relaxation and well-being and which have no risk of wreaking havoc with anyone’s life.
Even as Ansa McAl urges men to drink their Stout as a way of being ‘big men,’ other men (and women?) whose drinking patterns influence their behaviour have no other multimillion dollar persuasive campaigns to say, hey, try something different and see what happens. There are probably other doctors, police, law enforcement officers, social workers who have similar stories and views about how much more difficult their work is made because of alcohol. Hopefully, we could hear these stories and start to reverse the ugly legacy of our alcohol heritage.
Yours faithfully,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
