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Saturday Magazine - Saturday Nation November 1- 7, 2003

This is in reference to Oyunga Pala's 'Women have to stop drinking - Satmag Sep. 27 to October 3, 2003). I know his articles are usually tongue in cheek and get us to have a satirical look at ousrselves, but I believe in this one, he unknowingly promoted the already existing stigma against women alcoholics.

By saying that the first step in ridding the nation of drunks is for women to stop drinking and enacting a 'no tolerance approach to women drinkers' and even worse 'if men are hopeless when drunk, women are just pathetic' all this merely enscoces the myths.The reality is that a drunk, is a drunk is a drunk. regardless of sex, both are pathetic. But somehow society does not seem to ostracise the male drunk as much as the female, indeed people chuckle over the fellow as if he's an overzealous boy who had merely performed a deliciously naughty parnk.

Meanwhile, all the venom is reserved for the woman who is an alcoholic. She is given all sorts of labels while the man is merely seen as being 'naughty'

This bias only serves to increase the woman's guilt and drive her away from getting help.

Alcohol does however affect women diferently as they are more impaired after drinking the same amount due to the fact that their bodies have less water.

That is why recommended drinking limit is lower for women. Alcoholism is a treatable diesease and the stigma associated with it should be fought by all so as to allow alcoholics to get help.

David Ogot snr. Recovering Alcoholic

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