Dear Editor,
The bodies of two men, found about a month apart, in canals in the Ogle/Industry area, have ‘been’described as ‘known alcoholics’. The Stabroek News website shows a related story from March 2013, ’For the Love of Alcohol’, in which other casualties from Guyana’s alcohol culture were noted. Ogle/Industry area has ‘development’ apparently with the new Exxon Headquarters and hotels and so on. There are no reported developments which might check to see the extent of the problem with alcohol in the community, no development in terms of state funded community based programmes to work with the ‘known alcoholics’ and their relatives to prevent further deaths in the canals or anywhere else, to try to change the alcohol culture.
The oil prosperity will no doubt bring more fancy alcohol to Guyana. The PPP and PNC might be invested in this prosperity as the alcohol culture belongs, not to anyone party, and there is no serious political will to heal from the culture. Stabroek News has another report, about five men from Essequibo, who are charged with ‘driving under the influence’. The men are fined, licenses endorsed, but no sense that they are going to undergo any MOM or other related transformation away from alcohol. Does Essequibo or any part of quickly developing Guyana have any facilities to heal those who are found driving under the influence or otherwise living and dying with alcohol? Or would that be anti-development?
Sincerely,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
