Letter: Society should address problems of alcoholism

Sunday, May 21, 2000 | 8:48 a.m.

The front pages of our newspapers have shown the results of drunken driving in the deaths of teenagers along Interstate 15. Also, the death of an unborn child as part of the tragedy that struck four members of a single family. The ravages of alcohol extend far beyond the highways as they invade the sanctity of the home with domestic violence and lost time in the workplace. The monetary impact can be seen in the rising cost of insurance, property damage, hospitalization and incarceration. Alcohol brings early death as the poison of alcohol attacks the organs of the body. One of the most insidious effects is the attack on elements of the brain.

The mind is a marvelous, complex element of the individual that helps define him or her. It is that part of the human that feels, perceives, thinks, wills and, especially, reasons. It is our mind that spells the essence of each of us. When that facility comes under attack by alcohol, the essence of the person begins to deteriorate. That deterioration, along with others, brings on secondary and tertiary effects that lead to a major loss within families and communities. We as a family, a community and a nation, need to address this issue now. Just saying "No" is not enough.

RAYMOND HARBERT