/Josh Galemore / Arizona Daily Star 2019
Tim Steller | Arizona Daily Star
(Editor’s note: Opinion pieces are published for discussion purposes only.)
U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick announced that she is going to confront her alcohol dependence, which led to a bad fall, cracked ribs and fractures in her spine.
The decision to enter treatment was a brave move, and announcing it was helpful, too. Every time someone, especially a prominent person, talks about their own struggles with substance abuse, it gives others more courage.
The responses to Kirkpatrick surprised me with their nonpartisan, supportive nature. It turns out everyone sympathizes because we all have known people who’ve struggled with addiction.
So we ought to confront this truth: As a society, we’re dependent on alcohol, too. Not everybody drinks alcohol, of course (I do), but overall this country is a sodden mess.
Recent studies show it.
