More Serious Ailments?
Dateline: 06/18/97
Alcoholics Anonymous has always encouraged placing the focus on staying sober above all else, but new medical evidence seems to indicate some alcoholics may face even more serious health issues.
An article in the Journal of American Medical Association said, "It's smoking that kills alcoholics." Another article we discovered this week warned recovering folks against drinking too much coffee, because caffeine can "mimic alcohol's negative physiological and psychological effects."
Whoa, there Buddy, you can talk all you want about sobriety and recovery, but don't be saying anything about my coffee and cigarettes! I can't be worrying myself with those minor issues, I have to concentrate on more important matters like staying sober... says so right in the Big Book!
Yep, it sure does. From Chapter Nine of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous:
Here is a case in point: One of our friends is a heavy smoker and coffee drinker. There was no doubt he over- indulged. Seeing this, and meaning to be helpful, his wife commenced to admonish him about it. He admitted he was overdosing these things, but frankly said that he was not ready to stop. His wife is one of those persons who really feels there is something rather sinful about these commodities, so she nagged, and her intolerance finally threw him into a fit of anger. He got drunk.
Of course our friend was wrong - dead wrong. He had to painfully admit that and mend his spiritual fences. Though he is now a most effective member of Alcoholics Anonymous, he still smokes and drinks coffee, but neither his wife nor anyone else stands in judgment. She sees she was wrong to make a burning issue out of such a matter when his more serious ailments were being rapidly cured. Was she wrong? Remember, the "Big Book" was written in the 1930's! Medical science has learned much more since then about the adverse effects of nicotine and caffeine (and many other addictive substances) on the human body. New research seems to indicate that more alcoholics die from smoking-related diseases than drinking-related ones.
The Mayo Clinic researchers looked into the fates of people who got treatment for alcoholism 10 to 20 years ago and found that more than half of those who had since died did so from a tobacco-related disease. Comparatively, only a third were killed by diseases linked to alcohol, and overall, the smokers died at more than double the rate of the general population.
Other research has indicated there is a direct relationship between cigarette cravings and alcohol, meaning that while the alcoholic was still drinking, he probably developed a stronger addiction to nicotine than most folks.
Now there are also indications that caffeine carries its own dangers to the alcoholic, recovering or otherwise. One thing is certain: caffeine is an addictive substance. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that even people who consume moderate amounts of caffeine daily (about two and one-half cups of caffeinated coffee, or 235 milligrams of caffeine) suffer withdrawal effects, such as headaches, low energy and depression. More severe withdrawal symptoms afflict heavy caffeine users.
But most importantly, caffeine can become a substitute substance for the recovering alcoholic, standing in the way of complete physical, emotional and spiritual recovery.
What? Wait a minute, there ain't an A.A. meeting on Earth that doesn't have a coffee machine in good working order and you have to go out of the way to find non-smoking meetings in most places. You can't be serious! Staying sober is important; smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee is no big deal!
The consumption of coffee and cigarettes surely does not cause the problems that the consumption of alcohol can cause in the life of an alcoholic, but there is growing evidence that caffeine and nicotine may be more dangerous to his physical health than alcohol ever was.
But forget about the health consideration for a moment. What about the spiritual implications of continuing to allow a substance to remain in control of your life? An addiction is an addiction, even if it is legal and socially acceptable.
Can we really say that we have had a "spiritual awakening" and have been "restored to sanity" by a Higher Power when we still have an active addiction in our lives?
