Alcoholim

In a comment on my previous post about drunks Maria has a link to article about an apartment building in Seattle that the city built to house some of their chronic homeless inebriates. Of course there was the expected furor from the public because the residents are allowed to continue drinking. The public thinks "they should have to stop." Get a clue people, they aren't going to stop, they can't stop. On the street they drive up crime rates, drive down property values and cost you billions of dollars in taxes every year, sure I think they should just stop drinking too but obviously that isn't going to happen so how about an alternative to multiple ER visits and increased jail costs dragging them to the drunk tank.

Two things about the article though, first it said that their had been 120 ambulance visits there and this was in 2006 so obviously they aren't doing enough to cut down on needless ER visits, how about hiring and training some care attendants of some sort to monitor those that have drank until they passed out or soiled and vomited themselves? Even if you had to pay nursing salaries and benefits it would be far cheaper than ER visits.

Secondly, I was saddened that the article pointed out that a great number of these people are veterans. What a sad indictment of our society that we will send you off to war to fight for our freedom but when you comeback with mental problems from the stress and horror - well too bad, you're on your own.