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It is common to find people drinking these days without minding the consequences. Alcohol addiction is on the rise within the population despite an increase in warnings by health authorities.
There is not much this writer can say in this piece that those who enjoy indulging in excessive drinking of alcohol have not heard before. So, I will stick to the tale of someone who was buried two weeks ago – Beezy.
A popular fellow, Beezy was known in his community in Central Cross River State for his bravery both at home and in the bush. His popularity kept soaring as he never failed to deliver to his customers who awaited him to buy either fish or bush meat.
But, all of these changed when he passed a few weeks ago. While autopsies in this part of the world are rare, the story goes that Beezy died as a result of his love for alcohol.
About three weeks ago, Beezy returned from his hunt after catching lots of big fish. He sold them all and made a brisk profit that morning. His wife celebrated his feat. Little did he know that would be the beginning of his end.
As usual, to celebrate a good business day, he sent his wife some money to buy local gin, cigarettes, and some measure of gamaline, a dangerous substance used in fishing and preservation.
The wife joyfully bought the items and brought them home, handing him the gin and cigarette while stashing away the gamaline before proceeding to cook a meal for the household of six. Beezy commended her and lit a cigarette while sitting under a tree in front of his house. He then proceeded to grab the gin, which he took a little sip and put into his hunting bag.
Beezy will then proceed to sip, in secret, his local gin due to persistent complaints in the past that he was drunk. Unfortunately, he did not check the bottle he took out of the bag, since both were identical. He poured the contents into his mouth before realizing that it wasn’t gin he had taken.
He informed his wife and called a friend, who advised him to drink palm oil since the contents were already in his stomach. He obeyed but did not ingest much, as the wife only bought a little quantity, enough to prepare a meal. Thirty minutes later, Beezy lay dead and his friend, who had left where he was, met his corpse and a teary wife.
While it is human nature to feel pity for him, his widow, and the four children left behind, the question is; was it greed, selfishness, or sheer stupidity that sent Beezy to his grave?
There are arguments that at the appointed time, all beings will die and that the grim reaper will choose the method of leaving. But, there are avoidable situations. Was his alcohol addiction so bad that he won’t stop to even perceive the content, or check the physical properties of what he was about to consume?
“Drink Responsibly!” is boldly written on the bottles of alcoholic beverages. Could it be that he failed to drink responsibly too?
This writer is not trying to discourage drinking as a leisurely act or as a means to pass time etc. After all, the Bible says that strong drink should be given to the weary at heart. However, there is a caveat, the Bible warns against extremities.
There is a need for all of us to moderate our leisurely acts, whether at home or elsewhere. This does not suggest in any way that abstaining from alcohol or indulging in it is a foolproof ticket to a healthy life. After all, we encounter alcohol in daily items and food items like cake.
Also, this calls to question our medical infrastructure as well as our perception of such. Why will Beezy choose to call his friend instead of rushing to a medical facility? The question is, would he have received urgent attention? Would there have been facilities to take care of him? While these questions remain in the realm of ‘what ifs,’ prevention, it is said, is better than cure.
We are all too important to people around us who cherish us. Drinks are meant to nourish us in one way or the other. They should not become items that bring sorrow. And, to ensure that, we have to drink responsibly.
Sylvanus Eteng is an IT student from the University of Calabar with CrossRiverWatch.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Sylvanus Eteng, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.
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