The boom in alcohol consumption (Letters, 3/9) is frightening. The dire consequences of over-indulgence are usually only touched on in terms of how they affect our youth, yet many, many people are seriously affected by the drinking of those who are closest to them. This rarely rates a mention.
This came to a head for my family last week when my 59-year-old ex-husband died from sclerosis of the liver. A daily diet of alcohol over 40 years finally poisoned his body, yet many people he mixed with had no idea of his situation.
He could not live without alcohol and called it his anti-depressant. It ruined our 30-year marriage, the upbringing of our two children and has now left his much-loved second wife a widow. Alcohol is highly addictive for many; and the chances are that you know someone like this. I don’t know what to do except make others aware of its life-ruining consequences.
Penny Butler, The Patch