Evening star., 1947-05-09

ddC. 41C 1CpU4bC0 SAA0t OV III NOut
of those who continue through the
full period of treatment at the Yale
clinic recover.
These statements, among the most
optimistic so far reported on the
subject, were made yesterday at a
meeting conducted by the Wash
ington Committee for Education o.
Alcoholism at the Cosmos Club.
DR.. Bacon is chairman OF the Con-
necticut Commission on Alcoholism,
which operates clinics supported by
9 per cent of the States liquor
license revenues.
Senator Cooper Hears Talks.
In the audience last night was
Senator Cooper, Republican, Of Ken
lucky. chairman of a subcommittee
which has before it the Hebert bill
for the establishment Of similar
clinics here. After the meeting,
Senator Cooper said he was going
to- begin hearings on the bill next
Thursday.
DT. Haggard, whose Yale Labor
atory Of Applied Physiology started
the Yale Clinic, offered to send any
or all of his experts as witnesses.
DR.. Bacon is an associate professor
of sociology In the alcoholic studies
section of the Laboratory.
DR.. Bacon's optimism was based
on his observation that the dramatic
success of the rehabilitation OF alco-
holics by Alcoholics Anonymous and
other agencies was pointing the way
toward prevention of alcoholism.
2O,O00 In Washington.
He said the seriousness OF the
problem socially was greater than
first glance at the statistics on
alcoholics would indicate. In Wash
ington, for instance, Yale studies
indicate there are about 10000 alco-
holics. That does not seem an over
whelming number in = population
approaching 100000. But nearly
all the alcoholics are found among
the adult males. OF the 10000,
about 1900 are men. And there
are only about 100000 adult males
in Washington. About one in every
Is is an alcoholic.
"They become alcoholics just ut
the age when they should be coming
along in their life work." he said,
accepting the responsibility Of rear
ing a family, gaining maturity at
their skill or profession. The total
loss OF the social value Of this group
Is the great damage, the great prob
lem to society"
Tells Of Clinic Experience.
The prevention was coming about
in this way, he said. In the early
days Of Alcoholics Anonymous, the
group was joined by real drunks,
men with 10 to 20 years Of a drunk
ards life behind them. The Yale
clinic had the same experience, he
said.
"As time passed." he said, as the
work came to be known and talked
about, new group began to appear,
a group having only a year or two
Of alcoholism-some Of whom had
never seen a Jail. And later the
A. A. and the clinic were approached
by still others, who were, perhaps,
not alcoholics at all. They were
scared. And now there was a place
for them to 90, there was some one
to answer the questions. There were
answers and suggestions which
didn't carry odium and ridicule and
obvious, though perhaps well-meant,
nonsense.
This is prevention. It spreads
from the worst afflicted to tho less
afflicted, from the less afflicted to
those potentially susceptible. And
there Is something solid, something
that works, something that Is Of
the order of common sense and
1t is available. And now college
men and high school students are
interested In alcoholism and in its
causes-not because they must be
or ought to be, but because the
success with alcoholism Is some
thing dramatic and humanitarian
and efficient. This Is prevention.
And this Is the greatest saving OF
all. 1t rises directly from efficient
rehabilitation.
Progress With Realism.
II think it can be said with real
ism that progress, obvious progress.
is being made. Alcoholism is not
going to be controlled in a month
or in a year or in five years, but
the cooperative efforts OF the alco-
holics, of the educators, of the
therapists, of the researchers, and,
eventually OF the mass Of the peo-
pie are going to meet this prob
lem-not in some remote Utopia,
but here, in our society, in our
time"
DR.. Haggard, who talked on "Alco-
holism as q Medical Problem" said:
'"The opinion of the physician as
to whether or not alcoholism Is a
medical problem carries little more
weight than that of his equally So
cially educated lay ,neighbor"
The physician, DR.. Haggard ex-
planned, is the product Of the So
city in which he grew up. His
fundamental views, even those with