City seeks solutions to chronic inebriate dilemma
Published Tuesday, June 10, 2008
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The first of the chronic inebriate work sessions with the city of Fairbanks got off to a heated start Monday night.
The issues surrounding chronic inebriation in Fairbanks brought a wide range of experts and opinions to the table from businessmen, treatment centers, law enforcement and neighborhood residents, among others.
Police Chief Dan Hoffman began the work session with a quick presentation that defined contributing factors to the on-going presence of chronic inebriates.
According to Hoffman’s research, co-occurring mental health disorders were found to be more prevalent in many chronic inebriates.
He also explained the vulnerability of the population as many are homeless and unable to care for themselves, often leaving them victims of assault, sexual abuse and death in extreme temperatures.
The city observes several deaths per year due to hypothermia among the homeless.
“Mental illnesses are two and a half times more prevalent in this population and that gives them an 11 times greater chance of victimization,” Hoffman said.
Local treatment facilities, such as the Ralph Perdue Center which recently re-opened after a brief hiatus, and the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, along with the Fairbanks Correctional Center Sleep-off program, all see repeat visitors who are a drain on the system’s resources.
“We call this a revolving-door utilization of services,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman stressed the importance of integrating the substance abuse and mental health resources to provide proper and more effective treatment to the inebriated population.
“No one institution can do this alone,” Hoffman said.
Several members of health and public service organizations spoke up about possible solutions.
The meeting was an exploratory work session in which Hoffman and several others provided a wide range of opinions.
Though the discussion became rather heated at times, nearly everyone agreed that there was a problem and that Fairbanks as a whole needed to pull from many resources to find an answer.
“Folks, we have a legitimate concern and it’s incumbent upon all of us to have resources to treat these individuals whether they want it or not,” he said.
Hoffman listed four possible solutions but stressed the need for treatment that was culturally appropriate as statistics from the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and Ralph Perdue Detox Center have shown a significantly larger population of middle-aged males.
“It’s not a crime to be a chronic inebriate,” Hoffman said. “We have to treat this like it’s a disease,” he said.
He referred to a plan that would get the court system involved to entice chronic inebriates to seek treatment rather than jail time.
“Inebriation is a medical concern, not a crime, but if someone continues to abuse the resources then we need to practice some tough love at a certain point,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman also addressed a possible Alcohol Impact Zone that would limit the selling of easily accessible liquors in more populated areas.
Mayor Strle and the Alcohol Impact Zone committee met just prior to the work session and are hoping to have a recommendation to the council in August.
Other strategies included a long-term funding plan for the Community Service Patrol operation that wouldn’t rely on finite grant money.
Janelle Wilhelm directs the security force and made jaws drop in the room when she told the community about the working conditions and lack of funding in the program.
The Community Service Patrol works around the clock picking up inebriates who are in danger and highly intoxicated.
Wilhelm and other officers drive inebriates to the hospital, detox center and the sleep-off center depending on the severity of the case.
The original intent of the CSP was to decrease the burden on city police but since a significant amount of funding was cut in 2005, both the city police and the CSP are matched for workload.
As a result of limited funding, the CSP limited the area in which it patrols covering the area from Barnette Street to the Old Steese Highway and Main Street to Airport Way.
The CSP officers are unarmed, without even a can of pepper spray or pepper spray.
From herniated discs to broken noses and busted teeth, Wilhelm shared a long list of injuries her staff has acquired while performing the community service.
“Every single one of my officers has suffered an injury on the job,” she said.
Currently, they operate with three security officers and only one vehicle but Wilhelm will have to cut an employee and the van come June because there is no money.
Councilman John Eberhart has been apart of the Fairbanks Native Association and added that it was a major safety issue that the CSP officers were unable to work in twos.
“Many of the inebriates can become violent and can be armed,” Eberhart said. “If we’re going to run these vans, we need two people in them,” he said.
Guy Patterson of the Fairbanks Native Association also spoke in behalf of the Community Service Patrol, which seemed to be the hottest topic at the work session.
“It’s an integral part of managing the problem,” Patterson said. “We have inadequate facilities all the way through the treatment spectrum and how soon we forget that chronic inebriation is a brain disease with many relapses and these people deserve long-term respectful treatment.”
Community Discussion
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I hate to say it but most of the people that we see walking around downtown happen to be Alaska Natives. I am not a racist by any means but anyone really cant complain because (I just call it like I see it).
I don't see Dan Hoffman in that picture...that is a woman on the lower right.
We throw money at the school system to no avail - - -
Might as well start throwing money at the drunks too
But what does that have to do with the situation? Would it change the treatment options? Would make the CSP van different in any way? Why do you HATE TO SAY that most of the people walking around downtown are Alaska Native? And if you are saying that most of the people walking around downtown are Alaska Native, then how does that pertain to inebriation?
You are a racist.
I just call it like I see it.
Careful folks ... they don't like it when you identify the Natives as the root cause. We call them “homeless chronic inebriates” instead to be politically correct ... lol.
Cut the welfare system, the free money and the free rides to town and you will solve the problem. If not you can have all the "impact zones" in the world and all the social programs in the world and life will march on as is.
I hate to say it because I believe that these people are not helping themselves become better people. God helps those who help themselves. I believe thats the word of God. Now I am not here to preach or anything at all. If you don't believe that then fine. The chronic inebriates have to want it for themselves. They have to have the desire in themselves to become better people and choose not to be a part of this problem.We cannot force people to quit what they have been doing a majority of their adult life.
The_False... prophet,
That still doesn't answer the question of why you hate to say that Alaska Natives walk around downtown and what it has to do with solving the chronic inebriation problem.
If you are saying that God's Word tells that help from Him comes only from helping one's self, then that negates the True meaning of Salvation through His Grace.
theGoat -
His comment is pretty obvious - he is saying they are all drunk and ARE the problem
reread his first comment with that in mind
Aaahhhh. Clarity. I need the plain speak, sometimes.
Anywhere in the world that you go you will find that the poorest group of people will be the ones that you find in the street. In California, I saw a bunch of white drunks all over the place. So what does that mean, get rid of the white people and all will be better? These people still need help, I applaude the men and women that gathered together to try and find solutions without pointing fingers like a bunch of elementary children.
>>God helps those who help themselves.<<
That's not in the bible, it's an Americanism. Jesus DID say, "I was thirsty and you didn't give me anything to drink, I was hungry and you didn't give me anything to eat" as he was speaking about the needs of the poor.
Amen.
But apparently racial and self righteousness is the "The_Truth"
I am sorry if I have offended any of you. It's just that I see it as a simple solution really. Quitting pure and simple is the only solution. I remember this one time a friend asked my cousin how did he pass a UA for his job because at the time he was known to smoke weed and his answer was so simple but true. He said.........I quit and thats all it takes. Lol. I laughed at first but then I realized he said it in a tone that meant he was serious. To borrow a line from Morgan Freeman in Million Dollar Baby................ There are some things people just don't want to hear.
I never really considered the problem to be that bad. All cities have a few homeless walking around. For the most part they don't cause much trouble and move along if you ask them to leave.
LOL!!!! hmmm...government, city, state, federal...LOL!!! oh yeah, THEY'LL FIX IT!!!!
In all seriousness: Alcoholism is COLORBLIND...
Mayor Strle: Alcoholics or, uh, 'chronic inebriates' dont really care about 'alcohol impact zones'...they care about BOOZE and will go to ANY LENGTH TO GET IT...
Make Fairbanks a dry community for a while.....all those that like to drink will leave and thus your problem will be fixed.
i think drunks wandering into the middle of the intersection at Airport/Cushman is more a dilemma.
Fairbanksgas, once again, we agree completely!! How about stop worrying about this perceived problem so much. Fairbanks has always had people downtown, its just a shame that some people decided that they should not have a gathering place and tore out the heart of the golden heart city!!
@Walk_your_talk.. i hope you're joking. that works so well on everything else thats illegal right?
Fairbanks is way too big to enforce the "Dry Village" rules that don't even work in the "Dry Villages".
If booze exists... it can be acquired.
Actually it would be nice to put a huge fence around downtown and keep everyone inside it! That is certainly the best and highest use of the area.
Just think of the wonderful possibilities. Or how about setting up these shelters at Doyon?
Better yet .... how about we bill Doyon or Tanana Chiefs for each "inebriate" incident and put that in the coffer ... no more property taxes! You would see allot of the problem stop PDQ.
James...thanks for being so far out there that I can't smell you.
Alcoholism is an equal oportunity disease. The visible chronic inebriates in town are only one aspect of a broadbased community and national crisis. Age, gender, race, income - none of these factors can protect you from becoming an alcoholic. The odds are good that at least a few of the citizens attending this meeting drink to excess. It just isn't visible at this moment. Alchoholics can be found in every business. The job is usually the last thing to go for an alcoholic.
This is a tough animal to wrestle. It's like a clever octopus - subdue one tentacle and another grabs. By the time an alcoholic is chronically drunk on the streets, it is way far down the line to be able to help. Not that it is impossible. I know former chronic inebriates who got sober and are now amazing contributors to our town and our society.
Where do we begin? Why do people need to medicate themselves into oblivion rather than deal with life's problems? How do we protect our society from the ravages of this disease and its effects on the alcoholic, the family, and the community?
There will never be easy answers to this complex probem. All we can do is the best we can with the resources we have. Ridicule and bigotry do not help the situation. There but for the grace of God goes any of us. Between hospitals, law enforcement, counselors, treatment centers, and AA, we need to do what we can. Compassion, common sense, and the will to act are the tools available to us. May we all work together to use them, and use them wisely.
The_Truth, it was Benjamin Franklin who said God helps those who help themselves, not God. Rather, God tells us to be kind and compassionate to one another...even to those we don't believe deserve our compassion.
A chronic inebriate's disease has progressed well beyond the point of their having "the desire in themselves to become better people and choose not to be a part of this problem."
Alcoholism is a disease which impedes many survival skills, including a person's ability to think. Some people recognize the danger signs of alcoholism before the addiction has ruined their lives and are able to quit drinking. For many who are pre-disposed to alcoholism, however, the disease takes control viciously, rapidly, and indiscriminately.
I am grateful that people are speaking up, listening, learning and (hopefully) working together to solve the problem.
The problem isn't "who" is on the streets; it is how do we help them move off the streets; how do we help them gain control of their lives again?
It seems like there are 2 problems, homeless and alcoholism. Maybe the first move is to find them homes. Then if they choose to drink in their own home it is their business. Most communities who have done this have had a good degree of success in keeping people off the streets. I think the first question that needs to be asked is exactly how many people are we talking about, 20, 30, 100? Alot of effort into something when a community itself is fighting to maintain itself. Maybe it will be the street people who will turn off the lights when the rest of us cann't afford to live here.
Have any of you walked/driven downtown lately? It's down right embrassing! The tour buses drop off hundreds of tourists a day to wander around our beautiful downtown core only to be forced to walk around the sleeping drunks on the sidewalks, puke and completely wasted individuals. It really doesn't matter if they are native, purple or green...what matters is the City of Fairbanks looks TERRIBLE with these people wondering around completely bombed. DO something, its getting worse every day!
"As a result of limited funding, the CSP limited the area in which it patrols covering the area from Barnette Street to the Old Steese Highway and Main Street to Airport Way."
Where is Main Street???
I applaud the efforts of those who wish to help in a unique way. Most drunks wish not to receive help even from there family members. It is a mental illness after an extend period of drinking alcohol heavily. When it turns out to be years, well they become lost. So again applaud all those efforts in changing the scene. Grant that the limiting zone on chronic or usual drinkers will not matter nor how cold it is to walk so far. They will find a way to get there drink. Yes it is a revolving issue. The drunks enjoy revovling themselves days into months and months into years. You ask a drunk if they wish to sober up and they will look as if you had just asked to shoot the moon. The look they give you is one that says, awww yeah NO. Or more like ignore you and walk away.
There is no hope and there is hopelessness but how can one change until the person wishes to change. You can limited them, or you can force them and repeat offerders are required to get a collge degree or jail. Make them acknowledge that they are not allowed to drink no more. Put them on probation have them carry around a breathalizer, one that is connected to the Probation officer for each hour they have to blow and will signal the PO that they are to remain sober no drink and are no allowed to be around liquor stores, these stores will have cams and screened by investigators or police department
but who is willing to do all this?????????????? Smile is another beautiful day not to drink, why, i want to see my family happy and down for the hard times but at least i am there alive sober to see it
The_truth and akguy, guess what? I'm AK Native and sometimes I walk down town and I'm not drunk and I never cause a problem! To say that we are all drunks and are the root of the problem IS racist. I was sorely dissapointed to NOT see comments from any of you bigots on the Matthew Stevens article yesterday. You are quick to point out what you perceive as a "native" problem but, not our accomplishments. I feel sorry and sad for you. The native population in this state has profited the urban areas well. This is where we buy our supplies, get our medical treatment, and hold our big events that all local businesses see a profit from. It just so happens that there are some AK Natives, along with every other race, that have a disease that destroys their lives and affects their loved ones. Thanks for your comment audreyjaz!
I simply said it was the word of God. I did not say God actually said that. This is where reading really comes in handy. Lol.
AkFlower, Main Street is the old name for Cushman between Airport and the river.
I am Tsimshian Indian. Yes I am Alaska Native. I do not drink or smoke or do drugs of any kind. Well maybe prescription and thats it. I am not better than anyone. I hope all you people on here that think I am racist by saying these things realize that this is a Alaska Native writing these things on here.So please don't be so shocked now. Pick up your jaw. It's ok.
Alcohol is a drug, it's killed more people than anything I know BUT some people like to take this drug so they want to keep it legal, so live with the consequences.
No one ones to sacrifice their addiction.
This article is a hot topic, and I don't have time to digest all the comments already, though I did scan a few.
I appreciate the Mayor for taking the issue to task, and making an effort, even if some ideas are a mistake, she is trying.
We all know who the chronic inebriates are, we see the same faces over and over. Retailers excersize their right to refuse sales to shoplifters, and other 'bad customers'. In a perfect world, retailers would also refuse alcohol sales to the recognizable chronic inebriates - but that's only one step in several needed to fix the problem.
This is the society we have, so our local government is stepping in trying to solve our problem. I can only hope they find some remedy that I know won't cure the problem, but maybe make it a little less prominent.
-RK
People might only be shocked to know you are a Native Alaskan because you started of your string of comments by boasting that you are not racist. Strange thing to do in my opinion.
The truth/answer is in all of us, we can only give and recieve, not expect or impose our thoughts or beliefs on any one else. The government already does enough of that for all of us. There are so many different situations that exist that it is not humanly possible to change people,or situations, just take a look at the news and that is all you might need, there are 2.0 2.5 billion people on the earth and we are all different.
The_False... prophet,
My jaw drops not because you would go to lengths to single out Alaska Natives among a multiracial drunk population and alleging that you share an ethnic bond, but because you said:
"I simply said it was the word of God. I did not say God actually said that. This is where reading really comes in handy. Lol."
Now, is this what you are saying... or your words?
This is where reading comprehension comes in handy.
Geez all you people do is complain. Your not out there helping them are you? I mean how many of you who wrote all these comments are out there helping them and cleaning up downtown so it can be beautiful like it once was or maybe it was at some point. You all claim that your so righteous by spitting venom on me. I simply state the truth and if you cant handle it then don't bother to reply. We all know what the this so called board is being formed for. Alaska Natives are the majority of the people they are talking about. It's just that I am the only one who has the B_ _ _S to write it on here. There is no multiple choice with me. It's either yes or no. No in between or sitting on some fence.
i think the local government and law enforcement people are stepping up to try and solve the "problem" because some people with money has demanded they do it. downtown merchants want to milk the tourists for $$$ and they think their cash cow is threatened because of the chronic enebriates plying their trade in their neighborhood. did you have any doubts of who you were voting for when you elected strle? she primarily represents the downtown merchants. her interest in the rest of fairbanks is minimal. she and the police chief don't care what happens to these people or where they go, just as long as they leave downtown. (of course, i'm neglecting to mention the costs to the city to clean up after these folks and rescue them when they need that-which i'm sure the mayor is quite concerned about too)
i was one of those chronic enebriates out there on the streets for most of a decade. gotta tell ya, most of you just have no clue what's what out there when imputing your thoughts. but i know most of you mean well.
arguing and throwing rotten tomatos at each, calling each other racists or arguing about what god or benjamin franklyn did or didn't say. that crap is about YOUR ego.
some gems i have found in the comments....
*many of these people don't want to quit doing this (true-at least right now they don't... may come a time in the future when they are "sick of it")
*mental illness can occur after many years of doing this (true)
*these people will continue to drink no matter what laws you pass (true-a cheap alcohol free zone will basically have no impact)
as far as the demographics of the people involved, i'm not even going to comment.
what are the solutions to this problem? there probably isn't one. why not mellow out and let them be? life liberty and the pursuit of happiness and all that american constitution jazz (sic) .... but i'm going to tend to side with one of my own before i do with the shop owners who never did me any favors when i was out there.
So, The_Truth, if were were all in Seattle or Portland addressing the issue, would you be the one compelled to point it out as "white" problem?
We are not in Seattle or Portland obviously.But like I said earlier to all of you who I have offended then please forgive. I in no way meant to ruffle any of your feathers. I did not know there was so many sensitive people in Fairbanks or Alaska for that matter.I know this is a problem and has been long before I was born and nothing has been done back then. I really liked exchronic's comment because that to me best exemplifies the situation. In any case I wish you all well and God Bless.
Thank you thoughtful. I do not see how this person can come on here, and start the comments being rude, and act like your ---- don't stink. Help your people in some way, reinforce the positive, not the negative.
Its a serious problem down here (downtown). I live and work in the area, including working a graveyard shift and I can't tell the number of drunks I have dealt with. From the man we found wandering in nothing but blue shorts (at 40 below) to the countless fights and battered drunk women to the girl who was shot at in the parking lot... its a parade of problems. Lots of them are just looking for a warm place to sleep, and you cant blame them for that (but you cant let them crash either). I really commend and respect the CSV patrol and our overworked police force for dealing with these problems day-in day-out, and I hope we do come to some form of help for these people, if they wish to be helped. I have heard of cities that place ban's on serving to certain individuals as a part of parole... but I dont know that much about it.
And I am sad to say, I do see it as a native problem too. I try not to be biased, but in the 100s of cases I have seen I can only recall a dozen or so that were white, most of them military. I do tend to watch natives who come in more than others simply due to the reality that 99/100 times the problems happen to be natives. Not all natives are drunks, I've met plenty who I really like and respect, but many chronic inebriates I deal with are in reality native.
Aksniper_1, we don't expect or impose our thoughts on someone holding a rifle to our face, you are right there so many different situations but we all have moral choices for the betterment of humanity and we can give our opinion on how it can be improved. We might offend some but we need to keep trying.
alcoholism is NOT a disease...people choose to drink.
IF you were born in Alaska...you're a native alaskan......white or not.
The_Truth said, "Geez all you people do is complain."
...exactly who are you referring to by "you people"?
...I'm just kidding. I'm not that literal. Listen, I am Native American as well, maybe not Alaskan Native, but of the original peoples on North America. I agree that the majority of population that makes up the chronic inebriates happen to come from the outlying villages, but I daresay the larger issue is simply that chronic inebriates happen to frequent downtown and are and have been a public nuisance. Race is not an issue unless race is an issue who makes the statement.
Like you, I'm cut and dry on most issues. I am a conservative and don't believe is socialized care for individuals. Let's be honest in this discussion by admitting that cleaning up this issue would do wonders for the economic growth of downtown. I believe it would.
justasking - you are joking, right? If not, ...man there really is no point trying to have civilized dialogue with you. Alcoholism isn't a disease? That's like saying, "Air is over-rated, you CHOOSE to breath."
... at some point, an alcoholic made the choice to drink, but over time that "choice" is no longer controlled by rationality or cognizant thought. It is an addiction, and illness, a disease of mind and body. I can't believe you would post something so ill-conceived.
James:
"Cut the welfare system, the free money and the free rides to town and you will solve the problem."
James, there was a serious problem with alcoholism in Alaska long before there was a welfare system.
And what is this “free money and free rides to town” you keep talking about?
Not only is that not reality; it is an insult to people who are struggling with a very serious issue.
Good Afternoon to All,
It would be nice to see some dialog with some ideas about how to deal with the sobering issue of non-sober people in downtown.
It seems though that most posting today only desire to use the article as a platform to discuss their racial bias. This is Alaska, and really, most of us have at least a drop or two of Native blood in us. So, can we move onto the topic at hand?
The_Truth
“It's just that I see it as a simple solution really. Quitting pure and simple is the only solution. “
It is obvious from your statement that you have never been in the position of someone trying to get free of an addiction.
True, a person does have to make a decision to get help. But it is far from reality to think a person can ‘just quit.” These people are in bondage to something that is much stronger than they are.
Non_Lemming:
IF alcohol is a disease, why is it still legal? They don't have look for a vaccine for it, they just need to quit making it, thus the disease would be gone. If a vaccine is not needed for it, is it still considered a disease?
I left out the "all" before people or situations on my first comment. Do not get me wrong I am all for peace on earth but it is so apparent that leadership around the world is not. So many of us are so engrossed in what little satisfaction we can get out of this life, we lose sight of the big picture, some of us think we are more intelligent than animals, and yet animals do not seem hell bent on destroying themselves or each other, funny if you think about it. Nature has one law, survival of the fittest, and if you can not deal or handle whatever is thrown in your path you are as good as dead out there. We might be able to learn something from nature if we just listen and learn instead of living in the illusion that we control everything or everyone around us. Peace all. I too, deal with my own demons and it is not easy, but I do my best not to give up....
What ever the reason for this effort, it's the right direction. The affected areas do not need drunks abound and the alcohol abusers need help. On occasion, someone writes something informative and useful. All too often, this board is just a place for "cowards behind keyboards." I believe if this boards offered more helpful comments instead of the useless bickering, people in positions to make changes might listen more.
So my contribution as a possible part of the solution is to make sure its a decisive effort and not a half-a**ed attempt to sweep it under the rug while tourists are around. It would seem impractical to overburden the city with mass arrests and such. A program to preoccupy the offenders might help, but I doubt the majority would volunteer. In most any case, whoever is going to enforce the new program or policy or law will need to have appropriate authority and resources. This does not need to be a police problem. This should be people helping people instead. If the city is serious about fixing this problem correctly, it will require a serious solution with proper resourcing. It has to be long term also, short term will lose to most any addiction. Proper incentive is the final part to success. So, I see this as a possible three part solution, 1. collect up offenders, 2. transport to a amicable facility, and 3. develop a program to rehab.
If I were a city official, I would welcome useful ideas from anyone. There are plenty of smart people in this city that can contribute to a discussion, provide clarification and experience, and continuing to refine.
the_truth, your an apple, thats all there is to it.
Walk_you_talk - Alcohol isn't a disease, alcoholism is... It is a simplistic solution to simply make the drug illegal. This has done nothing to curb meth use, crack, misc. other drugs. I don't know why alcohol is legal, while other drugs are not, ... same could be said of the tobacco industry, ... but that is getting off point.
Anyone who has witnessed alcoholic withdrawal understands that it is a chemical dependence issue as well as a psychological addiction. For an alcoholic, the body NEEDS alcohol to function, ... it doesn't just desire the stuff. For those that say alcoholics choose to drink, ... well, that may be true in the early stages, but is not a valid argument for a fully involved addict.
we should do like amsterdam and build a drunk park lol
Maybe reaching out to other communties that deal with the same issues would help. Sort of a list of what has worked and what doesn't.
What would Darwin do?
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My first suggestion would be for DOYON to spend some money to get their own people on their feet and stop spending millions of dollars on a building they won't even let their own drunks inside of. Isn't it ironic that on one side of the Chena river you have a very expensive building built by Doyon and on the other side you have a lot full of drunk people? Talk about not looking after your own!
AKN8NVA - The beauty of this country is that people are allowed their own opinions. Please, do not lower your argument by resorting to name calling, it only lessens the validity of your statement.
olypopper - Again, the tone of your argument suggests the inebriates are ONLY native. Moreover, it also suggests that it is somehow DOYON's responsibility and not the responsibility of the city. It isn't a problem of "your", as in race, ... but rather "ours" in the sense of our community. It is an issue that we all need to address.
justasking said, “alcoholism is NOT a disease…people choose to drink.”
I used to believe that. Before I had all the facts.
People do choose to drink. And they are responsible for their choices. But it seemed to me that calling alcoholism a disease was a way of negating personal responsibility. It was like saying they have no choice in the matter.
I’d like to explain why I used to believe that alcoholism is not a disease. And perhaps I can add something to this discussion by explaining why I know now that alcoholism IS a disease.
As a Christian, the Bible is my textbook for living. And the Bible clearly teaches that drinking alcohol is wrong. (Before you come back with the reply, “But Jesus drank wine!” let me explain that no-where in the Bible does it say that Jesus drank wine. It does say that he drank “the fruit of the vine.” The common beverage of the day was plain old grape juice, referred to as the fruit of the vine. There is nothing to indicate this was anything other than grape juice.)
The Bible makes a clear distinction regarding fermented wine, and cautions us to avoid it. See, for example, Proverbs 23:29-35:
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
So when I started hearing alcoholism referred to as a disease, I felt that some were using this as an excuse to not accept personal responsibility for doing something that is foolish and irresponsible.
But I came to realize that, while drunkenness is wrong, alcoholism is something entirely different. It IS a disease.
No, it is not a contageous disease – unless you consider the social pressures involved. It is not a disease that can be treated medically. It cannot be treated with a vaccine.
But it IS a disease. It is a disease causes conditions that the alcoholic must live with for the rest of his life – even after he stops drinking. There is damage to the liver. There is damage to the heart. There is damage to other parts of the body. There is a serious problem with sleep disruption. But, above all, there is damage to the brain.
I applaud Guy Patterson of the Fairbanks Native Association for his statement, “how soon we forget that chronic inebriation is a brain disease with many relapses and these people deserve long-term respectful treatment.”
This is SO true!
It is a medical fact that alcohol causes damage to the brain. Long-term, heavy abuse of alcohol causes permanent, extensive damage to the brain that the individual must live with for the rest of his or her life.
Not only is memory seriously affected, but entire areas of the brain are destroyed. Perhaps one of the most significant of these is the area of the brain that enables a person to recognize “cues.” An an example, a recovering alcoholic may be approached by an old drinking buddy who wants his company. A normal person in this situation would say, “No way. I used to drink with this guy. I’d better stay away from him, or he might try to influence me to drink.” However, in a person with severe alcoholism, this “cue” is not recognized. Another example might be a recovering alcoholic whose entire social life, for years, has revolved around sitting at the bar. He’s home alone, lonely. He wants to go to the bar to be around people. (After all, in our community, most of these people are extended family – another problem many folks have to deal with) He doesn’t plan to drink. Maybe have a Coke. Just be with people. Now, again, a normal person would realize this is not a good idea. A normal person might think of a non-drinking friend he could call who would pick him up and take him for a drive. But these “cues” are not recognized by the long-term alcoholic. Consequently, he may end up at the bar, drinking, when he had no such intention in the beginning.
Add to these factors the fact that alcohol is a chemical and a phychological addiction that makes the person need alcohol at any cost, and you have a recipe for failure.
That is why treatment programs that offer effective alternatives are so desperately needed. First, the person must be “detoxed” to get the alcoholism out of his system. Only then can he begin to think rationally and make choices to seek treatment.
I know what can be done. Let's move and give them back their land. That way they can live off the land and not depend on the economy to survive.
A little off-topic, sorry...
But why don't we demand that the bars in this town follow Alaska state law and quit over-serving? No, that's not going to solve the chronic alcoholic problem, but it would certainly impact the number of drunk drivers around town.
I find it amazing that I had to sit through a TAMS class to work in a restaurant that serves alcohol, yet every bar I've ever been in constantly over-serves, and there never seems to be any repercussions.
Is drunk driving something we really take seriously, or is it a fund-raiser for the state?
An alcoholic must want to change his/her lifestyle before a concerted effort takes place. Trust me, I've seen it and lived it. Many of these 'chronic inebriates' don't want to be helped. How many pan-handlers have you talked to who, when you offer them a sandwich, say, "I just want a beer, man"?
Sorry your off topic, we're not talking drunk driving. Open your eyes and try to see the big picture.
Well, hi_there, you've insulted the Alaska Natives,and you've insulted Jadis, who made a very valid point.
Do you have anything POSITIVE to contribute?
can we go back to complaining about bikes riding in the road?
There is no silver bullet for this problem. A person who is drunk can only fix it if they want to, not if you or I want them too. It's a bad disease that does not discriminate.
So lots and lots being said, but no one making a whole lot of suggestions on how to attempt to get a handle on the situation. I think maybe it was Exchronic that said that there were a few folks (a few not many) that might actually want to clean up and be sober but that the alcohol has control. I think we should find those few individuals and clean them up, get them sober, into their own residence, some education if necessary and into the job market. Yes, the cost of even a few would be an expensive burden but the alternative is really no cheaper. So as a community, we get these few individuals off the street, off the booze and make them functional parts of society. Because they are the one's that want to be clean and sober and have the desire to go with this game plan, it makes it easier, you can't force someone to do what they don't want to do. Once they have the ability to stand on their own and resist former temptations, they turn around and go talk to the one's that are left. You never know, we've all said or thought that Exchronic cleaning up and becoming better than he was is honorable. Even the inebriates know about honor and if they see one of their old drinking buddies working a job, living in nice digs, owning some cool stuff, maybe having a car and a little bit of a jingle in his pocket, never know what kind of changes might occur. Maybe only one or two at a time and maybe not ever all of them but you know, if we could clean up downtown even one person at a time, than I'd say that was a success.
some do make it out. i'm living proof. i went from being a total drain on society, in 12 hour sleep off jail more times than i can count, detox the same, hospital quite often, ambulance rides, the whole smear. now i have set out on the journey to try and pay some of that back. daunting task... i took so much. it will take a life time. but what a joy to actually just have a chance to do that... free of alcohol bondage. am gainfully employed and have been for a while now. the last two years i've actually owed and paid taxes. wow! i have a place to live, and that was hard to get used to. i will never totally get over the feeling that whatever building i'm in i'm not trespassing and can get arrested at any moment. i have a car too. i went 20 years without a drivers license... and now i have a car to drive to work in. sometimes, during an extra hard day at work i wonder about why i'm involved in chasing after this materialistic nonsense. working so you can buy useless stuff, then having to keep working to maintain it. it's like you don't own the stuff, it owns YOU. but then all i have to do is remember what it was like laying under my sleeping bags in my tent and try and sleep while shivering when the temps dropped much farther below zero than i expected.
anyway.... enough of this sentimental drivel... like i used to say... what has any of this got to do with me not freezing to death tonight.
for those who truly want out, and is not in just a temporary depression that alcohol will bring out, there are resources already available in fairbanks for them to reach out for. AA is free. some churches have gotten together and set up sober houses where the only rules are you show up in a church once a week, get to 3 AA meetings a week and don't drink. you pay rent (cheap), and you are free to pursue your recovery financially too. the mission has a program that lasts around a year. though that one is not popular amongst many of the homeless for... reasons i won't go into, it is available. anyway... i've been on the road to recovery for a few years now and i don't know for sure how much of these resources still exist (except i know that AA is still as strong as ever here in fairbanks)
if ya feel that you have to spend some money, then i would suggest setting up half way houses for natives. the cultural differences suggest that it would really benefit natives to recover in an environment that is more culturally pertinent to them.
Exchronic, good point about having a treatment program aimed at and taking into account the differences in our cultures. Just from reading these posts and having been born and raised here, I could understand just how daunting having to try to recover in "our world" might be to someone of another culture. We all need to work together to find common ground but having a place to go with people of your own culture who have also walked the same path would make the journey a little bit easier. I know that we have a treatment center set up for native woman and children, I'm not sure who runs that, maybe FNA. Is there somewhere that the men can go where they too are allowed to be in their own cultural environment? If not, maybe that should be a resource worth looking into. And for all that have posted that seem to think that this is merely a "native problem" maybe you would be willing to pitch in a few bucks for something like this so you don't have to worry about this "blight" being in our downtown area. Personally, I think its much more of a "community problem" than it ever will be a "native problem".
I've read all the comments from all the posters on this newsminer article.
This is an incredibly passionate topic, and a *lot* of people from a diversity of backgrounds have something to say about this issue.
I say, let everyone's voice be heard. I haven't read a single comment, left, right, or center, that doesn't speak to some very real truth about this issue, that doesn't reflect some of my own various and often contradictory thoughts on this issue.
I say, let everyone's voice be heard. Voices of hope, of frustration, of condemnation, of redemption. Let them all be heard, if we're going to try to get anything close to a solution. Let them all be heard, because each and every response to this issue is absolutely and completely valid.
Frankly, I'm cynical. This problem that we're dealing with has been around ever since the first cave person realized the temporary euphoria - and experienced the longer-lasting destruction to their lives - associated with fermented beverages. I'm no anthropologist or archaeologist, but it's a safe bet to say that we humans have been dealing with this exact same issue for thousands upon thousands of years.
So first off, maybe we should realize that no particular "solution" implemented by the humble City of Fairbanks is going to eradicate a problem that has existed in our species for several millenia already.
Understanding this alone just makes me want to give up hope that we can ever find a solution. How do you cure a broken heart and psyche? How do you cure poverty? How do you cure a self-esteem that's been shattered beyond all recognition?
Me? I have no answers. I have no friggin' answers to these bigger questions. The profession I've chosen is based on providing answers to seemingly intractable problems, but yet, I can find no simple, concrete answers to the problem of people who, simply and absolutely, want to destroy their lives and the lives of others who love them most. And yes, it's incredibly frustrating.
Generically, for a problem of this level of complexity, I recommend a multi-pronged solution. No *one* thing is going to set things right, And no *one* set of solutions is going to address everyone's needs.
Exchronic, I would like to hear more from you about your idea of halfway houses for Natives. How would these differ from halfway houses for non-Natives? I would really like to know your thoughts on this.
I would also be interested to know more about existing "sober houses" in Fairbanks. Reformers Unanimous International has a residential recovery house at their headquarters in Illinois, and it has a phenominal success rate. There is a hope to have similar facility here in Fairbanks some day.
Thoughtful....
"The_truth and akguy, guess what? I'm AK Native and sometime" blah blah blah
learn to read - I said nothing in this blog about natives, only was explaining a comment to the goat....
take a breath before you comment about me incorrectly next time