New York Alcohol Policy Summit in East Syracuse
/ Dora Scheidell
EAST SYRACUSE -- Alcoholism hits close to home for Ann Rhodes.
"I come from an Irish family and it seems in our family at every occasion, alcohol is acceptable," says Rhodes.
Both of her brothers are alcoholics. and her son started drinking when he was 13.
"It's just very difficult and heart wrenching as a parent to see your child get arrested. What do you do? Do you bail them out? Do you let them stay because they need to learn they need to be responsible for their own actions. It's just very heart wrenching all along the road," says Rhodes.
She's one of many at theNew York Alcohol Policy Summit in East Syracuse. The message is take a proactive approach to alcoholism with public health policies, such as increasing the alcohol tax by 10 cents.The founder of the New York Alcohol Policy Alliance, Bob Pezzolesi says it's a step in the right direction.
"Cheap alcohol causes problems. So by making a modest increase in the alcohol tax in New York state it will first of all prevent alcohol problems and secondly it can raise money for badly needed programs for prevention and recovery," says Pezzolesi.
Won't someone who wants to drink just drink anyway?
"It worked with tobacco. Taxes brought down smoking rates," says Pezzolesi.
Rhodes' son still struggles with sobriety after 13 years of drinking. She hopes public policy will help other parents from living with the pain she's experienced with her family.
"As a parent, it's heart wrenching and very difficult to help someone who's genetically predisposed to become an alcoholic," says Rhodes.
One of the many messages at Thursday's summit, while synthetic drugs like bath salts may be in the headlines, alcohol abuse is still a major problem.
