Wet Houses – Blessing Or Curse?

Some people drink on occasion, others on a regular basis, and still others because they can’t help themselves. The last category of people are known as alcoholics as their dependency on liquor is total. For a few, counseling and rehab don’t work, making it next to impossible to cure them of their addiction. As friends and family abandon them, the streets become their home, adding to the ever-growing number of homeless people. A new and, at times, controversial approach has been taken to provide shelter to ‘hopeless’ alcoholics. Known as wet houses, these homes give them a place to drink and stay. The idea is that it’s better for them to drink in a safe environment rather than out on the streets. Medical care is also given, though most times minimal. While supporters claim that wet houses provide a safe environment for alcoholics and cut down state expenses, there are others who say that the idea is inhumane and does nothing to cure them of their addiction as they’re free to drink. Alcohol-related cases range from being admitted to emergency rooms and serving prison sentences for crimes or misdemeanors committed under the influence. Supporters say that this is a huge waste of the state’s money so wet houses are a better option. Opponents, meanwhile, say that putting late-stage alcoholics into such homes shows that they’re beyond hope. The medical care provided is too minimal, they say, and treatable diseases are left untreated. Residents too say that they’re not comfortable having such a home in their neighborhood. It is safe to say, then, that while wet houses do some good, they have negative consequences as well. Alcohol overdose trends may not seem as dangerous as those that are drug-related. However, just because it is slow, doesn’t make it less lethal. Alcohol poisoning can hit anyone of any age and not just binge drinkers. By itself, overdose trends cause a slow death but when combined with drugs and medication can double or triple in lethality. As statistics for alcohol overdose trends are few and outdated, it is difficult to put a number on how many die of such trends each year. Most people also don’t consider it to be life-threatening as compared to overdose by drugs, no doubt increasing statistics.