JOURNAL 0 F BETTER LIVING 1 e e n - a g e r NANCY NORRIS Biggest Problem found to be the single major source of trouble among 28.3 Narcotics is the biggest problem the Los Angeles per cent of the families in the study, and alcoholism and County Grand Jury has encountered, according to Nar­ drug addiction accounted for 20.3 per cent. cotics Committee Chairman Roger J. Roelle. “Narcotics Tranquilizers May Be Habit Forming is public enemy No. i.” “ Alcohol is the senior citizen of tranquilizers,” notes Alcoholics Claim Welfare Aid Dr. Keith S. Ditman, director of the Alcoholism Research The State of New York has directed its county welfare Clinic at the University of California Medical School, Los departments to make aid available to alcoholics unable to Angeles. He estimates that 25 per cent of the men and 35 work. This is being done on the basis of alcoholism as a per cent of the women alcoholics use drugs to excess. disease. Drinks or drugs reduce anxiety, but drugs accomplish this without befuddling or causing a hang-over. These drugs, U.S.'s Wettest City too, may be habit forming. San Francisco has one liquor outlet for every 138 adults. Greater Menace Than Narcotics One out of every six adults in the city has a drinking prob­ lem. Faced with increasing numbers of juvenile drinkers, Two leaders in the field of medical research point out this city will have 1,500 potential alcoholics from its 9,000 that alcohol is worse than other narcotics. Dr. Karl Bow­ youth who will reach the age of twenty-one in 1958. man, retired University of California psychiatrist, declares that alcohol is a greater menace to society than narcotics. Drinking and Desertion Agreeing with him is George Dusheck, science writer for In a study of 150 multiproblem families by the New the San Francisco News, who reports the Council on York City Youth Board, alcoholism, drinking, and drug Mental Health of the American Medical Association as addiction were found second only to desertion as the im­ saying that alcohol is a more potent cause of human misery mediate cause of the breakup of the family. Desertion was and disease than heroin or any other narcotic. DRINKING DOWNTREND WORLD DRINKERS There are now 2,800,000 fewer drinkers The New York “Herald Tribune'' World- in the United States than last year, says the Poll reports the number of drinkers in dif­ Gallup Poll, a decline from 58 to 55 per cent. ferent countries as follows: Drinkers Abstainers ■■ ■■■. ■ Fre- Occasion- Not Did Not quently_______ ally_______ ot A ll A n s w e r F ra n ce 3 0 % 5 0 % 1 9 % 1% Ita ly 18 5 8 2 2 2 B rita in 11 62 2 7 - J a p a n 11 31 5 8 - A u s tria 8 7 4 17 1 C a n a d a 5 5 6 3 8 1 G e rm a n y 4 7 3 21 2 S w e d e n 3 61 34 2 Brazil 3 40 57 - Be lg iu m 2 59 3 9 - N o rw a y 2 6 6 2 6 6 M e x ico 1 5 2 4 5 2 1945 46 47 49 50 51 52 56 57 58 LISTEN A Journal of Better Living SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 1958 ARTICLES Volume 11 Number 5 Unwanted Stepchild .......................................Editorial 4 Does Happiness Come in Pills? . Gilbert Geis, Ph.D. 5 This Barrister Shuns the Bar . Duane Valentry 7 Living Like Cham ps ..........................Ernest H. J. Steed 8 Does Beer Really "Belong”? . Harold Shryock, M.D. 9 Really L ivin g ........................................................... 17 Balancing the Diet . M. Dorothea Van Gundy, M.S. 20 OUR CO V ER SPECIAL FEATURES A busier young lady you never That "Dynamite” Factor . William N. Plymat 11 saw than Nancy Norris during What the Drinking Driver Sees . Llyle Rapp 13 the month of April, 1958, sub­ Trapped by Your Breath—Picture Feature merged as she w as in her pro­ Fred D. Cavinder 14 fession of modeling, her teaching, Dry Spot by the S e a ..........................Charles V. Mathis 21 her church activities, her com­ Youth Temperance Education W eek ........................... 23 mercial appearances, and her Youth for Youth—Oratorical Contest of ATS . 24 work as coach in helping to select her successor to the title of Miss PERSONALITIES M aryland. Nancy w as not too busy, though, Harold Lee Giesler—A ttorney ...................................... 7 to take hours—a considerable Ilsa and John Konrads—Swim m ers ........................... 8 number of them—to ap p ear before The Pearson Family of Miami . Marion Rubinstein 16 the cameras and recording micro­ Nancy Norris—Miss M aryland ...................................... 17 phone to express in word and Dick Knowles—Bicyclist .... Alan W. Farrant 29 feature her deep personal con­ Delmar Crandall—Baseball Player . W. E. Belleau 36 victions of better living. "Listen's" cover is by Byron REGULAR FEATURES Logan, of Takoma Park, Maryland. Have You H eard? ............................................................ 2 Youth Asks—The Doctor Answ ers ........................... 31 Book R eview s .................................................................. 32 O p i n i o n s ............................................................................. 35 POETRY God Is Taking Care .... Della Adams Leitner 30 R e v e la tio n ............................................... Esther H. Davis 33 PHOTO CREDITS Autumn L an d ............................... Bertha R. Hudelson 34 Page 7, H. Armstrong Roberts, United Press ; page 8. Australian Consolidated MISCELLANEOUS Press Limited, Sydney “ Morning Her­ ald” ; pages 14, 15, Fred Cavinder photos; Let’s Rush a L ittle ........................... B. Coursin Black 6 page 16, Miami “Herald” ; page 20, Courtesy Kraft Cheese Co.; page 21, Ew­ "Club Thirteen” Speaks.... Beverly Rairdan 10 ing Galloway; page 23, United Press; Look in the M ir r o r ........................... Marie Aubuchon 27 page 27, A. Devaney; page 29, Alan W. Farrant; page 34, Eva Luoma. Horrors of the Hang-Over................................................ 28 Editorial Office: 6840 Eastern Ave., N .W ., Washington 12, D. C. LISTEN —bimonthly journal of better living, pub­ Editor: Francis A. Soper Editorial Assistant : Sue Taylor Baker lished in the interests of scientific education for the Circulation Manager: H. K. Christman prevention of alcoholism and narcotics addiction. En­ Sales and Promotion: L. R. Hixson, Jesse O. Gibson dorsed and utilized nationally by Narcotics Educa­ tion, Incorporated. Editorial Consultants: Winton H. Beaven, Ph.D., Director, Institute of Scientific Studies Second-class mail privileges authorized at Moun­ W. L. Halverson, M.D., D.P.H., Former Director of Public Health, California tain View, California. Matthew Hill, Washington State Supreme Court Yearly subscription, United States and its posses­ Andrew C. Ivy, Ph.D., M.D., D.Sc., LL.D., University of Illinois, Chairman sions, Canada, Mexico, and Pan-American Union, of the National Committee for the Prevention of Alcoholism $2.00; single copy, 35 cents; to other countries taking Joseph T. Zottoli, Boston Municipal Court extra postage, $2.25 ; single copy, 40 cents. Cyril B. Courville, M.D., D.N.B., M.Sc., Director, Cajal When change of address is desired, notify the Pa­ Laboratory of Neuropathology cific Press Publishing Association. Please send the George T. Harding, M.D., D.N.B., F.A.C.P., President and Medical old address as well as the new, and allow four weeks Director, Harding Sanitarium and Hospital for change to become effective. Laurence A. Senseman, M.D., D.N.B., F.A.C.P., Director, Fuller Copyright, 1958, by The American Temperance So­ Memorial Hospital ciety, W. A. Scharffenberg, Executive Secretary. Publication Office: Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California Office Editor: Charles D. Utt 3 Because of this excise tax, the industry wails, it “is shoved aside like an unwanted stepchild when tax hear­ NWANTED ings are held. This is a legal industry, created by the will of the people, and one of the country’s biggest and most important revenue producers. When will it get the re­ spect which is its due?” These shed tears indicate clearly that the industry STEPCHILD itself recognizes a stigma attached to anything having to do with alcoholic beverages—a stigma of which it is not only cognizant, but afraid, a stigma that is innate, inescapable, constant, definite, a stigma rising out of the very nature and potential effects of alcohol as a beverage. It is a unique sight to see a multi-billion-dollar industry, in its official organ, feel like an “ unwanted stepchild” and cry for “ the respect which is its due.” Actually, it cries for the respect which is not its due; in many areas it is already beginning to receive the respect which is its real due. This “I shouldn’t be doing this” feeling reminds one of a small boy who knows he has been in the cooky jar and v E W words in the English language are more forbid- because he can’t look his parents in the eye, begins to .M. ding and cold than the word “ unwanted.” But that rationalize. But it is impossible to rationalize away the is the very word now being used by the liquor industry trail of damage and danger left by beverage alcohol. in its self-appraisal of its present position. This fact was recognized by the United States Supreme In a major editorial in one of the leading industry Court when some time ago it ruled the liquor industry a journals, entitled, “The Industry Needs Respect,” it weeps tolerated business, legal only by stretching the meaning out its woe. of the word. The difficulty seems to be mainly in its failure to That this is also seen clearly by the industry is indi­ persuade Congress to repeal the excise tax on alcoholic cated further by the fact that it is embarking on a cam­ beverages.