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Drinkers Earn More?

New Study is Misleading

I downloaded the study - it's as dry as dust as academic studies tend to be, and sure enough, they've got some stats that seem to prove drinkers earn more than non-drinkers.

Drinkers & Social Networks?

Their theory is that people who are willing to go to bars after work and

socialize build more extensive "social networks" that lead to better and higher paying jobs.

And they do try to distinguish between social drinkers and drunks. That is they tried to eliminate the practicing drunks from the study.

My reaction is a big sigh. My fear is a few will use the study as yet another excuse not to get sober.

Study on Drinking and Income Flawed

But what really bugs me is there's a big hole in their study - one they really can't fill. They don't have an numbers about the income of recovered alcoholics v. normal drinkers.

I'm not surprised. First they'd have to agree on the definition of recovered alcoholics - as personal a definition as claiming addiction is. Next they'd have to find recovered drunks to survey, an almost impossible task since most are anonymous. And, of course, they'd have to define normal drinkers. And I guess, to really do a job, they'd have to compare against a group that had never had a drink.

But what I really wonder is why do people even study this? Reason is an unofficial voice of the Libertarian movement so this may be aimed at getting government to spend less on, what, helping drunks get sober? Maybe eliminating tax breaks for corporations who make and sell booze? I'm not sure.

Not Drinking is Normal

What I really wish is that Reason and everyone else would recognize is that not drinking is a normal state. Choosing to abstain from alcohol or other drugs is really a restoration to normal, not a deviant life style.

Sure, when we're drinking and in the first few years of our recovery, not drinking seems abnormal. But when we work the steps the promises come true and one of those promises is And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone--even alcohol...we recoil from it as from a hot flame. (p. 84, 3rd ed.)

That's the freedom of the Program and my hunch is those working the 12 Steps earn plenty.

Love, peace and abundance,