It's crazy, but I think people just don't know the extent of the problem. I think back to when I was a normie (ahh - those were the days)....and I knew OF alcoholism. I had never seen it first hand. I liked to drink. Probably too much at times in life. I knew it meant a good time to me, but I could / can take it or leave it.
I knew crazy cousin Ritchie drank too much, because other members of the family talked about it here and there. I knew he died from drinking antifreeze in a hotel room after a couple of other suicide attempts. I wasn't close to him. No one was.
It took me 5 years of working for an alcoholic boss to actually realize the tip of the iceberg of what alcoholism meant. Even then, I didn't care to research or learn more about it until it struck me that ABF had no control over his drinking. Then, BAM. Information overload. At 33 years old. WTH - my aunt was an addictions counselor, and ran our local DARE program. I feel so stupid for thinking that alcoholism was so rare and so far from me...especially when now, it seems, I am surrounded by the problem.
Awareness of the problem is pathetic. We have commercials saying not to drink and drive, then see alcohol glorified 5 minutes later in a sitcom. Something insane like 1 in 4 people are affected by this plague, yet I don't think very many people realize what it is, or what can be done about it.
I think getting the word out would help. Have as many recovery commercials and ads as there are for booze and parties. Facts and stats. I don't think most normies have any idea of the destruction or magnitude of this curse.