356 registered alcohol-specific deaths in 2022 in Northern Ireland…

As the famous philosopher Homer once said, “To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems”. That is Homer Simpson, by the way, not the Greek fella.

We love the booze in Northern Ireland. Stressed after work? Pour yourself a glass of wine. Watching the footie on the tele? Have a few beers. Ready for bed? What about a whiskey nightcap? Looking to deal with your suppressed troubles trauma? Reach for the bottle.

Most people can handle the booze but a large chunk of us are problem drinkers. Over the decade, NI has seen deaths due to alcohol-specific causes rise by 45.9%. They call these ‘deaths of despair’. People turn to booze and drugs to cope with their terrible lives or past traumas; all very bleak.

I used to go out a lot in my younger years, never really drinking too much, but now I am pretty much booze-free. I can’t do the hangovers anymore. It is not worth the two days it takes me to get over a session. Also, with all the hassle of getting taxis now, I drive. I can honestly say I don’t miss it. Getting into your bed at a reasonable hour and waking up feeling refreshed more than compensates for missing out on the transient buzz of alcohol.

People delude themselves about drink, especially the middle classes. I was recently out with a friend who was doing all this whiskey w*nkery in the bar. ‘Oh you can smell the peat in this one’, this one has some an earthy finish’ etc etc. After several pints of Guinness and several shots of expensive whiskey, he could barely stand. The next day, I had ‘the chat’ with him about whether he thought he might be drinking too much. He divulged that his dad died of alcoholism, but he was ok because he only touched the good stuff. Feck me, people are deluded. Booze is booze, no matter if it’s 3 litres of strong cider or a £50 bottle of single-batch whiskey.

I was watching the RTÉ series On The Beat last night. It is a documentary series following the work of the Guards. It is astonishing how much police work is dealing with the aftermath of alcohol: assaults, fights, domestic violence, road traffic accidents etc. Booze is there right in the middle of it.

What to do?

Recently, I came across some interesting statistics about prohibition in America. We are all told that prohibition was a disaster; it created organised crime, it led to illegal drugs, etc.

But there are other more positive aspects to prohibition:

• Decline in alcohol consumption:
  • Overall alcohol consumption decreased by 30-50% during Prohibition.
  • Cirrhosis death rates for men decreased by 29-30%.
• Public health improvements:
  • Admissions to state mental hospitals for alcohol psychosis declined by 60%.
  • Arrests for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct decreased by 50%.
• Workplace benefits:
  • Absenteeism in industry decreased by 70%.
  • Industrial efficiency increased by 9-10%.
• Reduced incarceration rates:
  • The number of federal convicts decreased by 50%.
  • Total federal expenditures on prisons decreased by 50%.
• Economic impacts:
  • Sales of household goods and savings accounts increased.
  • Life insurance policies grew in value and number.
• Crime reduction:
  • Some cities reported a 50% decrease in police department action.
• Domestic violence and child welfare:
  • Reports of domestic violence decreased significantly during Prohibition.
  • Sociologist Elizabeth Tilton estimated a 50% reduction in family violence cases in some cities.
  • Child neglect and abuse cases linked to alcohol consumption saw a notable decline.
  • The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children reported a 60% decrease in cases of child abuse and neglect during the first two years of Prohibition.

Can you honestly think of another intervention that would have such a dramatic improvement in all aspects of society?

Getting alcohol banned might be a stretch, but there are things we should consider:

• Minimum unit pricing. Not a popular one with the public but I do think we need to factor into the price of booze the societal costs of dealing with the problem.
• Banning drinks aimed at alcoholics. Can there ever be a justification for selling 3 litres of cheap cider? Or 9% beer?
• Banning alcohol advertising and sponsorship. Booze companies sponsoring sports? feck away off.

I don’t want to be a complete killjoy; there is a case for the social benefits of pubs. A few pints in the bar with your mates can be great. Drinking yourself into a stupor alone every night in front of the tele, eh, not so much.

Things are changing anyway. The proportion of 15-16 year olds in Ireland who have never consumed alcohol increased from 26% in 2011 to 36% in 2019. Some young people are more into health these days.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual. If you love a night on the town knock yourself out. But if you find out that booze is not loving you back anymore, it might be time to consider taking a break for a while.

I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.