Alcoholism is serious disease

Chang Ki-hwun, a senior researcher at the Korean Alcohol Research Foundation

*This is the first in a series of articles featuring the problems Korean society faces these days, including sex crimes against children and woman, alcohol-induced violence and child pornography. ― ED.

Korean society is too lenient toward misconduct and crimes committed under the influence of alcohol, and this results in repeat offences, said an expert on the behavioral problems induced by alcoholism.

Chang Ki-hwun, a senior researcher at the Korean Alcohol Research Foundation, said that alcoholism should be regarded as a “disease” and a social issue, not an individual problem.

“Seven out of 10 Koreans think drinking is positive, saying it helps in social relationships. Thus, the chance is high they will indulge in heavy drinking. Such a heavy drinking culture leads to physical, mental, domestic and social problems,” he said.

Kim Kwang-kee, head of the Center for Alcoholism and Gambling Addiction

Chang’s remarks come amid concerns that many serious crimes involve drinking and there are growing calls for the nation to do something to reduce the harmful effects of alcoholism.

He said society tolerates drunkenness. Until recently, courts reduced jail terms for criminals if they committed offenses under the influence of alcohol, saying they were “unable to judge what was right and wrong.”

“People easily forgive misconduct if the wrongdoer said he or she had a blackout from heavy drinking. That happens in courts, too, and this provides a chance for them to repeat such behavior.

“On the other hand, when somebody has to get medical treatment for alcoholism, people are prejudiced against the person and try to keep away from him or her. We need to regard alcoholism as a disease, but we think it only the problem of a weak-willed individual,” he said.

Kim Kwang-kee, head of the Center for Alcoholism and Gambling Addiction at the Inje Institute of Advanced Studies, said that in Korea, people can get hold of alcohol very easily.

“It is easy for people to buy alcohol and drink it. The price is also cheap. If consumption is large, the consequent bad results are also large,” Kim said.

To reduce side effects such as violence and public disorder, Kim said the nation should adopt various solutions.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) proposes eight things to fight alcoholism and related problems including raising the price, limiting sales, preventing juvenile access, offering medical treatment, and not allowing drunkenness to be used as an excuse for committing a crime. But in Korea, police only focus on occasional crackdowns on habitual drunkards,” he said.

Chang also emphasized multilateral efforts, including education and law enforcement.

“Youngsters who begin drinking as collegians should be given proper education about it: they should be able to say no if people try and force them to drink, and they should learn other ways to relieve stress,” Chang said.

He expressed support for the health ministry’s recent plan to ban alcohol sales on campus. He also called for the government to adopt more aggressive measures for the treatment of alcoholism.

“Alcoholics are ordered to take cognitive behavioral education sessions when they are found guilty of committing crimes. But what they need is long-term therapy, hospitalized if possible, not a short-term session,” Chang said.

Criminals blame alcohol

As the experts pointed out, it is not surprising that almost every minor and major crime involves drinking. Suspects usually make the excuse of drinking, blaming alcohol for making them “impulsive” and “out of their mind” to commit vicious acts.

Ko Jong-seok, who raped a seven-year-old elementary schoolgirl in Naju, South Jeolla Province, last month, simply said, “I was drunk.”

A man surnamed Kang, who stabbed five people with a knife, killing one of them, after failing to rape a female bar owner in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, last month, also said, “I didn’t plan it. It was all accidental because I was under the influence of alcohol.”

Kim Gil-tae, who raped and killed a middle schoolgirl in Busan in 2010, said, “I used to get drunk when having a bottle of soju. But on the day I had more than three bottles. I was drunk and I don’t remember anything. When I came to myself again, the girl was dead.”

Besides such felonies, hundreds of scuffles and minor crimes happen every day caused by drunkards. In Seoul alone, police arrested 300 people who habitually misbehave or use violence under the influence of alcohol over 100 days from May to August.

The National Police Agency said during the period, the number of murders decreased by 31.2 percent from the same period last year, while that of sexual assaults, 5.9 percent; violence, 3.1 percent; threats, 36.7 percent; and property destruction, 24.1 percent. <The Korea Times/Kim Rahn>

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