Alcohol and social exclusion

Abstract

Pathological alcohol consumption is in many occasions on the basis of social exclusion, which is not addressed by most of the conventional treatment facilities. Sometimes clients do not reach services, while in other occasions they’re not interested in the abstinence based approach. This work makes different proposals aiming at making those groups of people more visible to society. It also proposes the use of social mediators to work with reach out strategies in order to approach those clients. Specific centers which allow for medium and long stay should be created. These includes halfway houses and therapeutic apartments where clients can be approached on a motivational basis and with different harm reduction strategies. The second part of the article addresses the connections between alcohol, immigration and social exclusion. Immigrants are usually more vulnerable to alcohol, and alcohol itself becomes a pathway to social exclusion. Different studies reviewed show the links between alcohol and immigration, but they also show how drinking patterns tend to conform to those of the new country when immigrants reach social stability.