Fluffer

Very interesting presentation. The most interesting point for me is that the disease theory of alcoholism did not originate with the medical profession or AA, but with "research" funded by the alcohol industry that was successful in shifting the blame for the damage caused by alcoholism from their products to the victims of alcoholism themselves.

Soberwolf

Thanks

dwtbd

I havent viewed the clip, but it sounds like successful marketing, the manufacturers and their products can't be blamed.

BackToSquareOne

We already know that the only thing that works 100% of the time to stop addictive behaviors is to not use the addictive substance. The problem still is what's the best way to modify human behavior to no longer feel the desire to change the way they feel in destructive ways. Is it education, spirituality, brain chemistry alteration, science, or whatever. Will there ever even be a best way?

Is making a highly addictive substance easily available and calling the substance an innocent bystander and the problem a personal problem or disease or mental illness or whatever really the best way to go? I really don't know.

Fluffer

Yes, I don't think there are any easy answers to all of this. While at the end of the day it the only person who can cure the problem drinker is the drinker him or herself, I think Big Alcohol gets too much of a pass in all this. They are after all pushing a product that will likely destroy 10% of the people why try it. While I think people should normally have the freedom to live the lives they want, even if foolishly or self-destructively, I don't think they should allow alcohol advertising just like they don't allow tobacco advertising now. I don't think they should be pushing a destructive product on impressionable young people for profit.

dwtbd

'Advertising' as a phenomenon is not problem it's more of a scapegoat. We need to teach impressionable young minds what "commercials" are , by not doing that we are actually helping the marketers enlarge their customer base.
"No need to look left, right and left again, just look for the white stripes ,after all they have to stop" the problem is without proper guidance in protecting their own safety we leave it to others to act accordingly and blame them if it goes poorly. It is even more important given today's ubiquitous nature of "media" and the commercials we are ' subjected to'.

Fly N Buy

Let me know please if this becomes law cause a lot of us will want to sell off some mutual funds that contain King Alcohol stock!!!

What's in your wallet, so to speak. I think I inadvertently support a lot of institutions I loathe in the name of $$$$$$$!!!

Don't disagree with your point necessarily, but how far are we willing (to go) to vote with our dollars?

amp123

Thanks for sharing. I found the part about our brains being rewired quite scary. Do you know if brains recover their natural circuitry over time? Really hope so!

It is amazing, when you consider the statistics, that alcohol remains legal while other drugs are not. It is such an accepted part if our societies that most people never even consider this question. Cash rules at the end if the day. Same reason why we don't have cars that run on water or lightbulbs that never break.

While I thought the talk was interesting, practical solutions seemed rather thin on the ground. He's right that success rates need to improve. I like the idea of doctors taking direct action giving the right advice to patients. I am very cynical about the whole rehab industry that has grown up around addiction.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing! Food for thought!