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Alcohol and Injuries
James T. Hamilton, MD, JD
Medical Director, Chemical Dependency Unit, Hoag Memorial Hospital, Presbyterian Newport Beach, Calif
Arch Fam Med. 1996;5(2):67-68.
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Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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I appreciated the Editorial by Brewer and Sleet1 pointing out (again) the massive effect of alcohol on our societal problems, such as motor vehicle crashes, fires, drownings, suicide, and interpersonal violence. Some studies indicate that it is also a major factor in approximately 50% of crimes. I also appreciated their call to action to support "public policies such as strengthening laws that limit the availability of alcohol to underage youth and that reduce drinking and driving." I have formulated a proposal for such a policy that directly addresses the problem of restricting access to alcohol for those whose use of it causes harm to society.
Alcohol and its problems and pleasures have been with us for millenia. In this country, the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcohol, was an attempt to deal with those problems; however, it ended in even worse problems and so was
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
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