Grappling with the Monster – Alcohol Abuse (Part 2 Q&A)

Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Alcohol abuse and addiction are two of the most complex and costly challenges facing Canadian society. According to the Washington Post, alcohol kills more people than HIV, AIDS, TB and violence combined. Heavy or even regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast, colon and rectum. In 2013, alcohol-related health care, law enforcement and lost productivity cost Canadians $14.6 billion. Globally, more than 3 million people die yearly from causes related to alcohol consumption. And it’s not just men boozing it up!! All over the western world, including Canada, women are consuming more alcohol than ever before. Compared to a decade ago, the latest Statscan figures show a startling 30 per cent rise in the number of Canadian women engaged in risky drinking. The adverse effects are not limited to women per se. Their children and subsequent generations are being seriously harmed. In Alberta alone, thousands of children are born each year with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) and many of them begin to drink alcohol at a very young age. All the while, corporations are reaping huge profits and spending billions to promote more drinking. Look at the television advertising. Everybody is having a good time. Where are those suffering from drunkenness or, worse still, in hospitals or morgues? Our speaker will give you a first-hand account of having to claim the bodies of young students and then consoling a grieving mother. And he will outline other events that led him to write Irrepressible Maggie --- rebounding from alcohol impaired decisions. Speaker: Al Barnhill, Ph.D. President, Able Administration Ltd. Al Barnhill is a former Professor of Management at the University of Lethbridge. His career encompasses teaching, management consulting and international development in 16 countries. He has written five management books, an internet text and one about old guys’ hockey. His newest book, Irrepressible Maggie – rebounding from alcohol-impaired decisions was published in December, 2017. It will be available for sale following the meeting. All proceeds will be donated to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) and Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) Moderator: Knud Petersen Date: Thursday, June 21, 2018 Time: Doors open 11:30 am, Presentation 12 noon, buffet lunch 12:30 pm, Q&A 1 – 1:30 pm Location: Royal Canadian Legion (north door) 324 Mayor Magrath Dr. S. Lethbridge Cost: $14 buffet lunch with desert & coffee/tea/juice or $2 coffee/tea/juice. RSVP not required