I am grateful to Hadley Freeman for highlighting the paradoxical attitude of the British towards alcohol (Alcoholism is tragic. So why can’t Brits stop sniggering?, 4 June). Those who laughed at Charles Kennedy’s problems with alcohol and mental health mask the deep unease of a nation refusing to acknowledge its own self-destructive relationship with alcohol. Kennedy’s candour about his drinking, and his efforts to deal with it, contrast starkly with the lack of support offered by the government to its employees who suffer mental health problems.
Alcohol costs this nation dearly in terms of the physical and mental health conditions it causes and contributes to. It wreaks havoc on families, particularly children who witness their parents’ loss of control. We stigmatise others in order to distance ourselves from that which we most fear in ourselves. When the snickering stops, perhaps we can examine our own weaknesses and develop empathy for those who struggle as Kennedy did.
Dr Annie Hickox
Consultant clinical neuropsychologist
• Charles Kennedy was not the first MP with an alcohol problem and he won’t be the last. A fitting memorial to this much-loved man would be to stop subsidising the Commons bars. A major barrier to overcoming alcoholism is working in a place where drinking with workmates and guests is normal and encouraged.
Gabrielle Palmer
Cambridge
• In 1967, after George Brown collapsed into a gutter, the Times supported him, saying “George Brown drunk is a better man than the prime minister [Harold Wilson] sober”. A similar remark could be made comparing Charles Kennedy with any other recent Lib Dem politician (and many in other parties).
Chris Lakin
Lymm, Cheshire
