Homelessness and Alcoholism
The homeless are everywhere and their numbers continue to climb. Anywhere from 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless, according to estimates of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. Close ties with Alcoholism make up for a large percentage of today’s homeless in America.
Ruined lives, destroyed families and inabilities to find work are the result of Alcoholism. Its hard to believe that so many people drive themselves so far into the ground that the only thing they can think of doing, is drinking a little more.
According to one study, up to two-thirds of homeless adults suffer from Alcoholism. One local government in Seattle, Washington recently visited the idea of implementing sales of the type of alcohol often favored by homeless alcoholics – cheap, strong booze that provides the most bang for the buck – would be banned in most neighborhoods.
The inherent hopelessness of living on the streets doesn’t make sobriety very appealing; if anything, it has just the opposite effect. The local government in Seattle feels that a first step to the solution is safe housing. In 2000, the top 20 individual users of drug and alcohol crisis services cost King County, Washington citizens more than $1 million in emergency room use, sobering centers, jail and other crisis services (excluding police time, ambulances or court time).
Alcoholism speaks to all those around it. It overpowers the mind and drives people into the ground. If you or someone you know suffers from an Alcohol problem, get them help. It could mean life or death or even worse, a life cursed to living on the streets peddling for money to buy your next bottle of Alcohol.