“Alcohol abuse is less sensational newswise than drug abuse – you will hear of someone who died from a drug overdose in the news but you won’t hear of someone who died from cirrhosis of the liver,” said Mr Schembri.

However, he added, alcohol abuse is more widespread than drug abuse because alcohol consumption is socially accepted.

“Maltese society tends to justify alcohol consumption as normal,” he said but Mr Schembri has noted a change in mentality. “Awareness is increasing – more people, especially family members – are noticing the early signs of alcohol dependence,” he said.

Not all changes are positive though. “Alcohol consumption in young people is also changing – especially where binge drinking is concerned.”

Mr Schembri puts this change down to globalisation. “More and more young adults go abroad on holiday now and have more access to the media. Binge drinking has become part of an entertainment lifestyle and is incorporated in the local drinking scene.”

He explained that some people come from a family background of alcoholics yet still end up having a partner who has a problem of alcohol abuse.

“It is not a conscious choice – these people start a relationship with someone whose drinking habits are similar to those of their father, for example,” said Mr Schembri.

Although there is more awareness on alcohol abuse – many people who come to sedqa for treatment of alcohol abuse do so either because they have been referred by family members, or because they have problems with the police.

“More often than not it is the relative who refers the victim to the services – usually because they would have had enough and want a change,” he said.

One of the hardest things for family members to deal with is the psychological absence of the person who has a problem of alcohol abuse, explained Mr Schembri.

“The person who has an alcohol problem is always absent while the other parent will have to shoulder the responsibility of running the family and dealing with all the problems,” he said.

This in turn creates a lot of resentment and anger, which makes it harder for victims to reintroduce themselves to the family, he added.

“Sometimes it is not possible and unfortunately many families walk out on the victim simply because they can’t take it anymore,” he said.

Mr Schembri explained that there is a gender difference in alcohol abuse.

“Alcoholism in women is still a taboo – it is not as accepted for them to drink, or get drunk in public as it is for males. However, men are more open about it – and it is accepted culturally,” he said.

sedqa’s Alcohol & Gambling Community Team provides personalised services to individuals and their significant others who are experiencing some form of alcohol-related problems and gambling-related problems.

Services consist of a help-line, information and advice, intake and assessment of new clients with an alcohol-related problem, outreach, crisis intervention, support counselling to clients and family members, advocacy and the provision of an aftercare service, and social re-integration to clients who have successfully undergone a treatment programme. Such services are delivered both through home visits and office-based meetings

The agency’s Alcohol Day/Residential Rehabilitation Programme provides personalised services to individuals and their significant others who are experiencing some form of alcohol-related problems. The programme caters for the socio-psychological needs of clients by providing assessments, behaviour modification, individual counselling, group psychotherapy and group work, adult education, occupational activities, and support to families and significant others, all on both day and residential basis.

sedqa is currently coordinating an educational campaign about alcohol consumption. The aim is to provide enough information for the public to make an informed decision when it comes to consuming alcohol. Informative booklets can be obtained for free from sedqa’s marketing office at 2, Braille Street, Sta Venera or calling 2144 1014.