Do we need a new name for those who are ‘almost alcoholic’?

As we have reported in previous weeks, many people drink far too much alcohol on a regular basis; however, this does not mean that they are alcoholic. Alcoholism is certainly a far more serious condition than regular binge drinking, but some campaigners are suggesting that without a suitable label people continue to live in denial of their unhealthy habits.

The term alcoholic is 152 years old. It was coined by the Scottish Temperance Review to describe a person addicted to alcohol. Today it refers to people who have severe alcohol dependency, who often suffer from failed relationships and lose their jobs due to an addiction to alcohol.

There are many people who enjoy a drink on a regular basis, however, and many of these are putting their long-term health at risk. When somebody is overeating to the point that their BMI exceeds 40, they are classified as being morbidly obese because it becomes extremely likely that their lifestyle will lead to disease and shorten their lives. There is no phrase to describe people who feel the need to open a bottle of wine every evening or who always have a drink in their work lunch break.

Currently doctors avoid the term alcoholism as it simply leads more people to live in denial of their lifestyle; however, by avoiding naming the condition, people feel reassured that there is nothing wrong.

Moira Plant, emeritus professor of alcohol studies at the University of the West of England, explains: “People normalise heavy drinking. They tend to overestimate what everyone else drinks. They say: ‘I don’t drink as much as my friends so it’s OK.’”

Tim Leighton, director of Action on Addiction, suggests that there should be a new term. “A lot of people with alcohol problems are not alcoholics,” he says.

Joseph Nowinski and Robert Doyle have authored a book called Almost Alcoholic that tackles this very question. Many people do not know if they or a loved one have a problem; likewise, many managers are unclear whether an employee has a drink problem or is just a very ‘sociable’ person.