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Alcohol: Granddaddy of tranquilizers
Before making breakfast, before
packing the children’s lunches,
before that first cup of morning
coffee, Sara fixes a drink.
She pours it — straight — into a
juice glass and gulps it down as if
she were swallowing a pill.
She has been doing this for over a
year now and it frightens her. But
trying to get through breakfast
without that drink frightens her
more. At the age of 32 Sarah is one
of an estimated 300.000 Georgians
who are alcoholics.
And like the majority of alcohol
ics. she remains hidden. Her family
tolerates her drinking. And Sarah
doesn’t think she has enough of a
problem to seek help.
“We are still only touching the
surface in the numbers of alcoholics
who come into our clinics and
hospitals,” says Larry Walker, di
rector of the Alcohol and Drug
Section for the Georgia Department
of Human Resources. "But as more
and more people begin to under
stand alcoholism we feel that more
and more people with drinking
problems will begin seeking help
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for those problems.”
According to DHR statistics, of
the 123,052 persons treated in FY
75 in mental health clinics and
hospitals, 23 percent were alcohol
ics or had alcohol abuse problems.
Os that figure 43 percent were
treated in mental health hospitals
and 57 percent were treated in
community based programs.
An estimated five percent of the
alcoholics in Georgia are chronic
skid-row drinkers, another 20
percent drink heavily and 75
percent are problem drinkers whose
condition is deteriorating. By 1979
U a Iker projects that at any given
time 30,000 alcoholics will require
treatment in community based pro
grams.
“There is no question but that
alcoholism and alcohol abuse is the
primary drug abuse problem in
Georgia," says Charles Methvin,
who has been involved with alco
holism programs in the state since
the early 50’s.
“But it is not a recent phenomen
on. Alcohol has been around for
thousands of years. It is the grand-
daddy of all tranquilizers. It's just
that not much was done about it
until recent years. And Georgia was
one of the first states to recognize
alcoholism as an illness and
develop a comprehensive treatment
program."
In 1951, the Georgia legislature
created the Commission on Alco
holism. The Commission’s seven
members were appointed by the
Governor.
“All of us had an interest in alco
holism," says Methvin. who served
on the Commission. “But our
knowledge was questionable. Our
first task was to look at what other
states had done. Some had taken a
strictly medical approach. Others
placed emphasis on psychiatric
lines. Some were strictly religious.”
The Commission decided that
none of the programs went far
enough. Alcoholism, they reasoned,
was a complex illness involving the
total person. Therefore, treatment
should involve the whole range of
human services including health,
mental health, spiritual guidance
and basic f<M»d and shelter. In 1953
the first residential treatment center
for alcoholics was opened in
Atlanta. The state alcohol treat
ment budget for that year was
$200,000.
"People came from all over the
state,” says Methvin. “And while
we were proud of the program we
also felt that most alcoholics could
be treated on an outpatient basis
without leaving tome. In 1956 the
Chatham County Alcoholism Out
patient Clinic opened in Savannah.
And the number of referrals from
Savannah to the Atlanta clinic
dropped to nothing.” When federal
fimding became available in 1960
the newly created Division of Alco
holism Rehabilitation Services
began part-time outpatient clinics
in county health departments in
Dalton. Athens and Statesboro.
“This was the real test,” says
Methvin. “Could we modify ideas
that most people had of alcoholics
and alcoholism? Could we establish
that alcoholism was a bona fide
health problem? Would people in
the community be willing to help in
the treatment of alcoholism?”
THECOVIIv;TO\ \l WS —THURSDAY,DECEMBER 2,1976
Trained teams from VI ta and
Savannah spent tw<» h ■ s each
week training local volu eers in
the part-time clinics. Ad he idea
worked. From I *>69 to 71, 19
clinics for alcoholics opeut around
the state. From I*>72 - I*’74 the
number grew t<» 34 an ■ these
clinics are now > art of system
of community n - lai heZi centers
around the >latc. iholics
needing residential can- ere no
longer limited to the Allan a clinic
but could go to one of the state’s
eight regional hospitals.
Supportive living homes —
halfway houses for the alcoholic
who is not quite ready to be totally
independent are now operating
throughout Georgia.
A milestone in the chan ng atti
tude toward alcoholism as the
passage in 1971 of tin niform
Alcoholism and lnto\i< ali< Treat
ment Act. Basically the \d de
criminalizes alcoholism > that
intoxicated persons in public places
will be taken to treatment centers
rather than jail Due to a lack of
funding the Act has not been
implemented.
“Approximately $6 million a year
is now put into alcoholism pro
grams in this state.” says Methvin.
"We have been innovative and we
have been successful. But getting
that hidden alcoholic to admit he
or she* is sick and getting that
person into a treatment program is
still our biggest task. And our <
greatest problem.”
Gum Creek
Mrs. Roy Kimble
Phone 786-6421
Mrs. Alice* Bagwell of Stockbridge
spent several days last week with
Mrs. Ernest McElreath.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kimble,
Heather and Jill, Mr. and Mrs.
Douglas Kimble’ were Thanksgiving
dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Gus
Morgan and Bobby.
Mrs. Roy Kimble, Mr. and Mrs.
Harvey Farmer, Warren, Connie
and Gordon wen* Thanksgiving
dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs.
William Kimble, Ricky and Robin.
Mrs. Ernest McElreath, Mrs. Alice
Bagwell and Joan visited in the
afternoon.
Mrs. Alice’ Bagwell and Mr>.
Ernest McElreath wen* Thursday
dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Nick
Sammons.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kimble,
Heather and Jill and Mrs. Roy
Kimble spent last weekend in Jack
sonville*, Fla.
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Lee Simpson
were Thursday dinner guests of Mr.
and Mrs. W alter Simpson.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kimble,
Heather and Jill visited Mrs. George
Ballard Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Skip
Ballard and Sue* and James Ballard
Saturday night.
Mrs. Ernest Me*Elreath spent
Saturday with Mrs. Nick Samons.
Mr. and Mrs. 'Thomas Kimble-
Heather and Jill were Saturda*
supper guests of Mr. and Mrs
Harvey Farmer, Warren, Gonni
and Gordon.
Mr. and Mrs. Billy Phearms and
Messie, Mrs. Shirley, Mrs. Ronnie*
Smith and Doria were Sunday
dinner guests of Mrs. Ernest
McElreath.
Mr. and Mrs. Walt Wilson visited
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Moss and
Diane, Frankie and Mike? Saturday
night.
Mrs. E. L. Jake spent Thanksgiv
ing holidays with Mrs. Rose Queen
in Tucker.
Kim Kuckneli spent 'Thanksgiving
holidays with her uncle and aunt,
Mr. and Mrs. Hall.
Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Jordan spent
the* day with Mr. and Mrs. M. A.
Jake.
Springhill
Mri. Mattie Weaver
Phone 7M-7IM
This is my command; Im* stre>ng, b<*
resolute; de> not be* fearful or
dismayed, for the* Lord your God is
with you wherever you go. Josh. 1:9.
Darnell Jackson flew up freim
Miami, Fla. and spent a few days
with bin wife, Mrs. Marilyn Jackson.
Mr. and Mrs. Aron Jones of
Dayton, Ohio was the Thanksgiving
guest of Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Zackery, returning home? Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. William Hagan and
sons of Miami, Fla. spent the
holidays with Mrs. Hagan s mother,
Mrs. lola Freeman.
Mrs. Rosa Davis had dinner
'Thanksgiving with her daughter,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cunningham
in Decatur and remained until
Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie B. Whitehead
of McDonemgh ami Mrs. Lenora
Martin were* guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Harold Zackery.
Our best wishes to all the sick and
shut-ins.
Mr. and Mrs. John Ivey had as
their dinner guest Sunday her sister,
Mrs. Rosa Davis.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Zackery
visited Mount Bethel Baptist
Church in Henry County Sunday.
7B
