Letter: Alcohol crisis

Sir: As the wife of a recovering alcoholic I wish to express my wholehearted approval of the article "Booze: Britain's Real Drug Crisis", by Suzanne Moore (Review, 7 August). I am glad to say that my experiences with the effects of alcoholism have been mild compared to the pain and suffering that many thousands of people go through, yet they came close to destroying my marriage and my health.

I have been angry for a long time that people feel the need to belittle the trauma that alcoholism can cause. When trying to explain or reach out to friends and family who think that there is nothing wrong with a "harmless drink" (which there isn't if you aren't an alcoholic) to relax, I have been driven to my wits end.

I have found help among people whose experiences are similar to my own, but I have long ago given up trying to talk about alcoholism seriously to anyone who hasn't been affected by it. Suzanne Moore expressed, without drama or sensationalism, all the things I have been thinking for a long time. It gives me hope that someone articulate and informed is fighting for more understanding of something that has been killing a lot of people for a very long time.

Name and address supplied