Even one 'stiff drink' can lead to disaster

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

On one occasion in my early years teaching I did something that I imagine would be a sacking offence today.

I asked the students in a first year class to close their eyes. I then went on to ask them if there was any boy in the class who could definitely say that there was not one person in their extended family who did not have a difficulty with alcohol. I think there were three boys out of a class of 28 who raised their hands.

On the last Saturday of February Irish media reported the story of an Air Corps training aircraft losing power 30 km from Baldonnel. 

The PC-9 two-person plane was on a training mission when its single engine lost power. The two Air Corps pilots managed successfully to glide the plane to a safe landing at their base in Baldonnel.

The day after the emergency Irish newspapers quoted a military statement saying that the two pilots were ‘slightly shaken’. And then added: ‘They’ll have a stiff drink tonight’.

I know very well that it was a throw-away comment and indeed something often said with the best of intentions. I also know we may be gone PC-mad and GDPR is a great excuse to dumb down our lives to a state of moribund boredom.

But leaving all that aside I was a little surprised that a military spokesperson would make such a comment to the media.

It was also surprising that there was no follow-up story from the media on what the military spokesperson said.

The same day that the stricken plane glided back to Baldonnel I happened to be in a shop two doors up from an off-licence. While chatting with the owner of the shop I noticed a number of people exiting the off-licence with large boxes and placing them in the boots of their cars. Obviously they were buying drink in bulk. 

I have to admit I was somewhat surprised but the owner of the shop assured me that was a common occurrence.

It set me thinking and I have been wondering since why are off-licences allowed to remain open during our Level 5 lockdown.

Someone told me that if they closed off-licences: ‘they would be taking away our drugs’.

Aren’t we the most complex of creatures. A glass of wine, a pint of beer a measure of whiskey can be the most magical of drinks and do our souls great good.  But there is always the danger that one glass leads to another and on it goes until the danger lights start flashing.

World Health Organisation figures show that 3.3 million people worldwide die every year from alcohol misuse. In Ireland three people die every day from alcoholic poisoning, that works out at over 1,000 deaths per year.

Alcohol problems are costing the State in excess of €2.5 billion annually.

 

Certainly during these extremely difficult pandemic times turning to alcohol is the very last thing we should be doing.

Advertising works. And even the subliminal comments hit a spot in our brains that can so easily ignite a spark that leads to doom, in this case alcoholic poisoning.