TDA Adds to the Three A’s of Abuse: Access, Affordability, and Advertising

by The Discovering Alcoholic on January 24, 2010


This weekend my good friend MPJ over at A Room of Mama’s Own tipped me off that Burger King was looking to add beer to their fast food menu. This reminded me that official TDA researcher Norm also had sent in a story from a while back that Walgreen’s was looking to stock alcohol of the non-medicinal nature. Neither story sounds very alarming, I mean after all alcohol is widely available anyway. Right?

Not so in my opinion. With six figure deaths already directly attributed to alcohol and a whole host of social maladies as collateral damage, I wish we would put an end to the encroachment of alcohol into every single aspect of our lives. Recently, Professor Roger Williams explained why the UK is facing a binge drinking social catastrophe that may bankrupt their healthcare system laying the blame on cheap booze and 24/7 exposure and access. His argument is very relative to our issues here in the States.

So why has drinking slid so wildly out of control in recent years? I believe there are three main reasons — what we might call the three A’s: access, affordability and advertising.

Read the whole article here, he makes a good case that much of the problems they are experiencing with alcohol are caused by overexposure to alcohol. I agree. And that is why I would like to add an additional A to his list, and that is acceptance.

Even though it is the one of the most preventable problems both our nations face, we blithely accept the pain and misery caused by alcohol and routinely invite it use and promotion into all places and events. It is entrapment; more alcohol, leads to more problems, which unfortunately has inured the public and just led to more acceptance.

Remember this in the upcoming debate to legalize marijuana.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Carrie January 25, 2010 at 1:08 am

I am shocked. I do not think that Burger King is the place for alcohol. So this would mean that you could drive through the drive through and get a beer? It just does not seem right. With the rate of people seeking alcohol treatment being so high it just does not add up.

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Deborah January 27, 2010 at 4:19 pm

All of our Walgreens and all other drugstore chains such as Rite Aid (except for some CVS stores) have always sold alcohol in North Carolina. Now as far as Burger King, I don’t think that would be offered as a drive thru item in the Bible belt.

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