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By OMAR GREENE I OF The News-Sam Malt Can you note the No. health problem in America? Possible ‘answers ari cancer, heart disease, ar thritis, diabetes. But, none of these is the correct answer. ‘The worst health problem in America is alcholism, ac cording to Dr. Jack Dubose, who recently spoke to the Hobbs Lea Lions about alcholism, and about the ef fects of alcohol on the human body. Dubose, a Hobbs physician, made the presentation in connection with his work as medical advisor to the Lea County Council on Alcoholism (LCA), Dubose said LCAA aims to promote awareness of alcoholism and problem drinking, since there are some 10 million alcoholics in this country. There also are more than 50,000 alcoholic New Mexicans, and some 3,000 persons in Hobbs ,who could be diagnosed as alcoholics, Dubose said. Misunderstandings about alcohol may be at the foot of the large number of drinking problems in this country, Dubose said. He described alcohol as “a socially accepted drug, but in fact it is a poison,” Dubose said. Dubose added that alcohol can be both physically and psychologically addicting. “In other words, you can get hooked on it,” he declared. As a drug, alcohol belongs in the sedative class, Dubose said. The drugs in this class cola and relax and make persons taking them feel “cepe an tha ia group include valium and phenobarbital and others Prescribed by doctors. as sevetivon and trampilizers, he said, A side effect of these drugs is that after the calming effect wears off there is a period of sickiness which Dubose called “agitation of the central nervous system. This after-effect is more 82 Stious with alcohol than with vvalum and many other senlatives, Dubose said, ‘When it is very serious, an alcholic goes into the DTs or delirium, tremens,”” he said, an arene causes some areaint of inage to the bed 7, Dubose said, In animal studies, rates and dogs suddicted to alcohol for a single period of being fire were sobered up or unuied.” A year later the animals displayed apparently permisment brain damage, since sven a year later they could not be made to go through routines they could perform ? before being addicted to alolych. Other animals which were trained , at the same time but never alcoholl-addicted could be prompted to perform the tasks, Dubose said. Drinkin8 also promotes heart disease, Dubose said, “Many heavy drinkers exhibit ¢ ‘nlarged hearts,” Dubose said. The heart is enlarged because the alcohol has caused fatty deposits in the heart muscle. A heart affected in this manner must labor much harder to do the same amount of work as a normal heart, he explained. Unusual amount of waste products in the blood which have been linked to the type of insanity known as schizophrenia also have been found in the blood serum of alcoholics, Dubose salt. Memory loss from drink leg may be explained by brain cells being destroyed by alcohol and by alcohol reducing amounts of im portant chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, such as one labeled dopamene, are trical for cells in the brat to transmit messages need for the brain to work correctly, Dube explained. Asked after the presentation whether drinking or smoking poses the greater health hazard to an individual, Dubose replied that drinking does “because it is potentially am physically addict smoking is not, he sai LCAA wickets ‘Steve Stephenson’ and Barbara Kiersey said the LCAA's aim was “to prevent alcoholism, not drinking.” Mrs. Kiersey, LCAA director, pointed out that the organizations three goals are to rehabilitate alcoholics, counsel their families and educate the public about alcoholism and alcohol abuse. ‘An alcoholic, Dubosc it poled out, to a person W drinking Interferon with his job, initial and family relationships and-or physical health. A social atigma = has surrounded which must be removed so the disorder can be treated teagerly, Dobine said. The CAA office, which offers Its services as a branch of New Mexico's Department of Hospitals and Institutions, is open from 8:30 a.m. to $:30 Pm., Monday through Friday at Will Rogers Community Center, 200 Eaat Park, Mrs. Kiersey sad,
Newspaper Details
Hobbs Daily News Sun
Hobbs, New Mexico, US
Sun, Dec 05, 1976
Page 58
Full Page
Clipped by
Matt N.
USA 12 Jul 2026
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