The upcoming Public Health Alcohol Bill has sparked some interesting conversations about alcohol and alcohol abuse. Last month, John Higgins spoke to Ray D’Arcy about alcohol and suicide following the death of his son 6 years ago. Today, Ray played host to three more people who have been affected by alcohol in different ways: Irish Times writer Laura Kennedy (a non-drinker), Model Alison Canavan (a non-drinker for 3 years) and The Today Show with Seán O‘Rourke team member Brian O’Connell (sober for 13 years).

Ray turned to Brian first, who shared the story of how he became sober 13 years ago.

“I went into rehab when I was 28. Essentially, my family intervened at that point. It was clear I had a problem with alcohol. I was drinking a hell of a lot. It became a daytime problem. My life, really, was pretty much a mess at that point, to be honest with you Ray.”

Ray asked how things have gone since he completed that stay at a rehab facility. Brian was good-humoured about his progress.

“I was at a wedding 10 years ago and I think I had a Baileys cheesecake and...that’s as wild as I’ve ever gotten [since]”.

Ray moved on to Alison Canavan, a model and wellness coach. Alison doesn't call herself an “alcoholic” anymore. Instead, she says that she “was” an alcoholic and is now “in recovery”. She sees this as a personal distinction but acknowledges that some people dislike that particular phrasing. Alison described how she had looked at the world when she was a drinker.

“I didn't really like myself. I didn't really value myself or have any self-esteem…Drink gave me a personality, initially…I never, ever thought that as human beings we could feel good naturally, without any outside help…so the thought of giving up alcohol was like ‘Well, I’m never, ever going to be able to enjoy myself again…what’s the point in living, without alcohol?‘”

Irish Times writer Laura Kennedy was also part of the panel. She described growing up in a household where she saw the “extremes” of alcohol abuse. As a result, she has chosen not to drink.

“I made a conscious decision…I grew up in a household with pretty severe alcoholism and obviously that put me off. I kind of saw the worst that alcohol dependence can do. I kind of don't believe in acquiring tastes unless they’re good for you.”

The conversation moved on to social attitudes towards non-drinkers. Alison said that when she first got sober, her “phone stopped ringing”. Brian noted an interesting contrast he had observed.

“I never felt as much stigma as I did when I was sober and there was never that kind of stigma when I was a problem drinker.”

All three gave Ray their views on the impending Public Health Alcohol Bill and the nature of advertising and alcohol. On whether they see the addition of information classes in schools to be a reason for optimism about the future, Laura stated her belief that, while well-intentioned, these kinds of initiatives will not be effective without community and family involvement.

“I think the issue is that…if you have people coming to schools and talking to kids, that’s great. And if we minimise alcohol advertising, that’s great. But if your parents are drunk at your Holy Communion party, that’s another issue, right?”

Listen back to the full discussion on The Ray D’Arcy Show here.

If you feel you need to talk to someone, you can call or visit:

HSE Drug & Alcohol helpline: 1800 459 459

AskAboutAlcohol.ie (HSE)