Re: No sale of alcohol in corner stores, Feb. 3.
Given the debate that is now swirling about whether or not corner stores and grocery stores should be allowed to sell beer, there is one voice that is not being heard. That is the voice of the person living in recovery from addiction to alcohol.
For three years, I have been abstinent from alcohol, which almost destroyed my life. My sobriety is the most important thing in my life, because without it I would not have a life at all. It is easy for me to avoid the Beer Store or the LCBO, but I can’t avoid the corner store or the grocery store. And frankly, I do not want to be faced with a mountain of beer cases when I go there, as I have seen in Quebec.
Alcohol is already an omnipresent part of our society. As Ontarians, we need to be asking ourselves if it is really so important to have even more alcohol in more places. For those who can consume in moderation, alcohol is fine and can even be healthy, but for others it can be completely devastating.
I hope that as these decisions are made, people will consider my views and those of thousands of other Ontarians who are living in recovery from addiction.
Tristan Maack, Ottawa
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