First Year Alcoholism - you must be blind not to see it!!

This is a reply to the opinion piece entitled "Firts Years Alcoholics. . . I Protest. ." on the blog: http://intermsoftomatoes.blogspot.com . Have a look at it before reading further..

The Journal of the American Medical Association defines alcoholism as "a primary, chronic disease characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking." According to this definition, an alcoholic is not in fact simply someone who has to drink each and every day as is defined by this opinion piece. Therefore the entire argument is flawed, because as I am sure you will agree, there are more than just a few Rhodents who use alcohol despite its adverse consequences and beyond the limitations at which their thinking becomes distorted.

Technically, according to the definition by the Journal of the American Medical Association most Rhodes students in fact balance on the verge of alcoholism, or have toppled over it. So as a counterargument to your argument that most first year Rhodes students are not alcoholics, I would put it to you to consider that most in fact are, and I would ask you to look for a reliable medical definition of what alcoholism is before assuming that your opinion is correct. Also consider the matter of “binge alcoholics” who do not need to drink every day, but still get completely drunk on a regular basis.