Question: What has your research found about the way we talk about alcohol misuse?

Claire Melia answered on 14 Jun 2018:

Hi, thanks for the question!

I’m still in the middle of my research, but I can tell you my most recent focus. Recently i’ve been looking at how we account for alcohol use, or how we place ‘blame’. I’ve found that there seem to be three distinct ways of placing blame.

Individual: Some people blame the individual. They think that many people drink moderately in society and so being addicted must be a personal fault of the person. They are strong willed enough or they have an addictive personality. Essentially, they think this person has made the choice to drink and they have the choice to stop being addicted too.

Medical: Some people describe alcohol addiction as a medicla disorder. This is a neutral way of placing blame, as you can’t blame someone for being ill. Nobody has ever told me it’s my fault that I have hayfever for example!

Culture and policy: Finally, some people thought that the normalisation of alcohol in society was too blame. Due to our culture and policies alcohol is too cheap, easily available and drinking is actually encouraged. This means that it’s very difficult for people to not drink and this can then lead to alcohol problems later on.

So that’s what i’ve found so far, but i’m just starting on a new area looking at how people explain being a non-drinker. 🙂