RECOVERY:
More than half of the requests came from the family, 30 percent from the drinker and 10 percent from social workers or family centers.

• By Lery Hiciano / Editor, with CNA

Taiwan’s first alcohol and drug abuse center helped about 1,000 people in its first year of operation, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said yesterday.

The ministry said it commissioned Mackay Memorial Hospital last year to establish the Taiwan Abstinence and Drug Abuse Prevention Center, with an initial budget of NT$40 million (US$1.23 million). ).

Center director Fang Chun-kai (方俊凱) said that of nearly 1,000 people helped by the center, 178 were referred for further treatment.

Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times

These problems show that quitting alcohol cannot be done through willpower alone, Fang said.

At a press conference titled “Healthy Taiwan!” A Guide to Quitting Alcohol,” Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) and baseball star Chou Szu-chi (周思齊) also spoke.

Chou spoke about the three essential elements of avoiding alcohol addiction – awareness, prevention and quitting – while sharing personal anecdotes about how the pressure of a professional sporting career can lead people to depend alcohol and drugs to relax.

Fang said that of more than 1,000 requests received by the center, more than half were initiated by the person’s friends and family, 30 percent by the drinker themselves and about 10 percent through community social workers and family centers.

Of the 178 people hospitalized for further treatment, about 40 percent had a history of drunk driving, 30 percent had a history of alcohol-related violence and 20 percent reported suicidal thoughts, a he added.

Quitting alcohol requires a method, he said, adding that it’s a myth that addicts can rely on willpower.

Wanting to consume alcohol isn’t just a matter of desire, and successful treatment might require therapy, behavior change, group therapy or medication, Fang said.

Alcoholism can be divided into two categories, “happy drinking” and “depressed drinking”, which require different treatment plans, Fang added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered efforts to promote new alcohol medications introduced in 2019, Fang said.

Since 2015, the ministry has promoted its Alcohol Dependence Recovery Plan, which subsidizes medical institutions to establish referral channels, promotes new treatment options for addicts, and provides social resources to help drinkers recover. reintegrate into society.

The results showed that about 90 percent of cases saw a reduction in the frequency or amount of alcohol consumed after treatment, the ministry said.