Dependence on alcohol and other drugs is so prevalent in Ireland that it is often ignored – but the time has come to start a conversation about it, say doctors.
Two people die every week in Ireland from overuse of alcohol. Alcohol addiction is so prevalent in Irish society that many experts say we don’t even notice it any more. In fact, it is often brushed off as a lifestyle choice.
A recent survey found that two in five people believe that those who are addicted to or dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs should be able to stop if they are willing to.
The same survey found that one in two people knows someone with an addiction or drug/alcohol dependency.
Dr Hugh Gallagher, a HSE GP co-ordinator in addiction services in north Dublin and medical director of the One Step Clinic, says more and more women and people over 50 are suffering from addiction, mostly to alcohol. Due to the high tolerance for alcohol in Ireland, many of them don’t seek help with their problems until they reach rock bottom.
A further difficulty is that treatment services are often hard to find and many family doctors shy away from confronting patients with symptoms linked to alcohol addiction.
Source: Sylvia Thompson, The Irish Times, 01/12/15
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