Summer is prime season for alcoholism, and it brings more people to emergency rooms. According to Anne Elizabeth Lapointe, this phenomenon was the result of trivialization in Quebec.
“It’s not just trivial, it’s inspiring [la consommation]», says Mme Lapointe, General Director of Maison Jean Lapointe, in an interview with LCN. The non-profit organization aims to support people who want to stop using alcohol, drugs or any other form of addiction.
Summer brings many opportunities to consume and access to drinks is very easy. The increase in emergency room visits doesn’t surprise her, but she’s a little disappointed.
According to the director, a large portion of the Quebec population consumes alcohol. The heaviest drinkers are adults between the ages of 30 and 55.
“We imagine that because it’s legalized, it’s a less dangerous substance, and on the contrary, it still has many harmful effects on our own health,” he declares.
“From the moment we drink alcohol, it inhibits us and impairs judgment,” he adds. When people make irrational decisions, alcohol can lead to all kinds of dangers like coma and drunk driving.
“We don’t see any risk in consuming alcohol, and there’s a contradiction in all the oversight we had around cannabis when it was legalized,” said M.me Lapointe. Alcohol is an exception to all the measures we take for other substances.
Is Awareness Enough?
According to Anne Elizabeth Lapointe, prevention campaigns on television are often linked to driving. Because they don’t directly target alcohol consumption, he thinks, “there is a lack of information.”
Maison Jean Lapointe also does prevention in secondary schools, but, according to its director, it should also be done for adults.
“There is still a lot of work to be done in terms of information and awareness,” he concludes.
Watch the full interview in the video above.
