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74
the population as a whole. It would seem that there is a delicate
balance between heredity and environment.
What is the extent of alcoholism in the community today? No
serious investigations into its incidence have been undertaken
for some considerable time and we continue to rely on the
surveys carried out by Jellinek and Parr. These produced some
generalisations, viz., that 1.1% of the adult population were alcoholics,
that 2 males to every female were affected and that the
problem was not confined to one socio-economic class although
more patients from the higher social groups sought treatment.
Surprisingly little is known of the incidence of alcoholism in
those industries where workers are acknowledged to be "hard"
drinkers and where reliable statistics could have been expected
to be available. Suffice to say that estimates of its cost to the
country's industrial life vary between £99 millions and £250
millions according to the source of the intelligence.
In estimating the cost, not only in financial terms but also in
human misery, family disruption and social ostracism, published
statistics are of limited value (except, perhaps, to prove that
such a problem exists) for it is clear that few patients consult
their doctors on account of alcoholism. As a direct result of our
neglect to treat alcoholism as a disease it has, over the years,
acquired such a repugnant aura and degrading stigma that it
requires great courage on the part of the addict, of his own volition,
to make public his problem. Shame, family pride and a
propensity of the alcoholic for untruths, all militate against the
collation of accurate information and data. Indeed, despite the
recent emergence of a more "permissive" society and the
development of greater tolerance, especially with regard to
minority groups, there is still no positive policy directed towards
solving the "alcoholic" problem.
Recognising, rather belatedly, the growing menace of alcoholism,
particularly among the young, parliament granted, late in
1970, £2 millions for additional treatment facilities and counselling
and, during the current year, the existing services were being
improved and expanded and another 5 special units consisting of
72 beds were being established.
At the close of 1971, and in accordance with a Report by the
Working Party on Habitual Drunken Offenders, proposals were
being entertained for the introduction into specified hospitals of
pilot "detoxification" centres where immediate diagnosis could
be provided for persons found drunk in public and measures
taken for their present and future treatment. Inherent in the
operation of these centres is the supposition that facilities exist