Sober reality for children of heavy drinkers

The lives of many Swiss children are blighted by parental drinking habits Keystone Archive

More than 50,000 Swiss children live with at least one parent who is a heavy drinker, according to an alcohol prevention group.

In many cases their development is affected and they become addicted themselves later in life.

The Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Addiction also found that many children of heavy drinkers are witness to destructive marital disputes.

The findings were revealed at a national symposium on addiction in Lausanne last week, where medical professionals and researchers hammered out a plan of action.

“Fifty thousand children is the size of a small town. So this is a really frightening result,” said institute spokeswoman Janine Messerli.

The institute based its estimate on statistics compiled by the Swiss National Health Survey, according to which there are 300,000 alcoholics in the country and just as many people again who drink excessively.

Excessive drinking is defined as a half-litre of wine per day for women, or 750ml of wine per day for men.

“Get rid of the bottles”

Child psychologist Allan Guggenbühl sees dozens of hurting children at his offices in Zurich and Bern.

Looking at their drawings of home, you get the picture, he told swissinfo.

“Bottles are everywhere in the drawings. And if you ask them what they wish for, their prime wish is to get rid of the bottles.

“These children see their parent as having a demon inside. One boy made a gift for his father at school. When he presented it, his father threw it against the wall and destroyed it,“ he said.

Ironically, alcohol assumes a prominent place in the awareness of these children and this, coupled with genetic factors, may make them use it to solve problems.

As teenagers, they report more suicidal thoughts, physical ailments, and violent events. Left untreated, the anger can overwhelm them.

Guggenbühl is treating two boys, ages eight and 12, who have been known to beat their mother when she is drunk.

“To see her staggering and stammering, they just can’t bear it.“

Split personalities

Psychologist Holger Schmid told the symposium that children need some sense of control over their environment to learn appropriate behaviour. When parents drink heavily, the ground rules keep shifting.

“It’s like the parent has two personalities: one, when on alcohol, and another when they are not,” said Schmid, a psychologist and Lausanne University lecturer.

Guggenbühl holds out great hope for children who receive help. The problem is finding all those who could benefit.

He said the privacy of adults who are in treatment is protected, so nobody knows exactly how many children are affected, and the number could be closer to 100,000 than 50,000.

Breaking the taboo

Janine Messerli says the main reason for the conference was to break the silence about drink and how it affects families.

“Drinking alcohol is very much accepted [in Switzerland] and the subject of alcoholism is taboo,” she said.

Recommendations coming out of the meeting included a five-question screening test for adults and upgraded support for families at possible risk.

Messerli also suggested an additional tax on alcohol and restrictions on advertising.

She noted research by the World Bank suggesting restrictions on adverts for alcohol could curb drinking by eight per cent.

This autumn, parliament will consider a new law which, among other things, would ease control of advertising for private TV and radio stations.

“That is a serious problem, because advertising has been shown to have an effect on the consumption of alcohol,” she said.

swissinfo, Elizabeth Meen

Key facts

There are an estimated 600,000 excessive drinkers in Switzerland, of whom 300,000 are considered alcoholic.
Excessive drinking is defined as a half-litre of wine or a litre of beer per day for women, and 750ml or wine or 1.5 litres of beer per day for men.
In a survey of 15- and 16-year-olds, 8% (or 90,000) said they have a parent who drinks too much.
40% of teen males and 26% of teen females surveyed say they drink once a week, approximately double the figure of 16 years ago.
In November, the institute will mark the National Day of Solidarity with People with Alcohol Problems

In brief

Recommendations by the national symposium:

Wider use of a screening test with five questions for adults, to be provided in doctors’ offices.

Early intervention through pre-natal courses and helping professionals, in which tips are provided to curb drinking.

Support for parents through Positive Parenting Programmes.