One Beer with Meals

I have worked with a couple Physicians, who felt it was Ok and probably a good idea, to order a beer or wine with the meal tray, as an attempt to prevent alcohol withdrawal. Essentially, the conversation is in regards to persons who drink a fair amount on a daily basis; like the guy last night, who drinks 10 beers a day. I posed that question to Dr. X the other night, in respect to a person with a serious drinking history. He said, "No, not ever would he allow that for his patients". His rationale was to the effect, that this individual made a personal choice to abuse alcohol, and the Dr. could not in any way support this, calling it unethical. I mentioned Dr. Z, who is known to do the opposite. To me, it appeared that Dr. X, was co-mingling some personal beliefs, as opposed to a scientific data based approach. His method, should there be withdrawals, will be dosing the patient with whatever drugs are on the "Withdrawal (drug) Protocol". In other words, medications that will very likely cause more short term side-effects, that could possibly have been avoided, had Billy-Bob been allowed a beer with each meal. This is not all supposition, as the Dr. Z method (Beer/Wine) has proven successful on numerous occasions.


Doc, what do you think?
The subject of prescribing alcohol
During a hospital admission,
Would you allow it for your patient
Under any condition?
Some Doctors say, no
I wouldn't cater to that,
Regarding a self-acquired problem
And that's where I'm at.

But I think a double standard
Exists with that attitude,
Our patient's get addicted
To all kinds of things, Dude,
Like Morphine, Oxycontin
Fatty foods and Coffee,
We let them have those
Along with Grandma's best toffee.

I have a suspicion
Your ethical attitude,
Lies in personal beliefs
Not science, Dr. Dude,
Because we feed our fat patients
And prescribe Norco, like candy,
How is addiction to pain pills
Any different from Brandy?

I heard your argument
Against the alcohol approach,
If I was selecting a doctor
I would choose another coach,
One with a more generous
Perspective and view,
And a little bit older
With more experience than you.