Pilot Arrested After Attempting to Fly a Commercial Plane Drunk [ WHY alcoholism as a social disease ? ]

[ "Leo Tolstoy believed that the root cause of alcoholism, and other forms of drug use, stemmed from a person's need to silence or escape the demands of their conscience. More specifically, Tolstoy argued that: Individuals use alcohol to stifle their conscience: People consume alcohol (and other substances) to suppress the guilt or shame they feel after acting contrary to their inner moral compass or to prepare themselves to commit actions they know are wrong but are driven to by their impulses. Alcohol creates a "moral vacation": By clouding their minds, individuals can temporarily ignore the inner voice telling them to do what is right, allowing them to engage in behaviors they wouldn't normally consider while sober. Societal pressures exacerbate the problem: Tolstoy also recognized that social factors could contribute to drinking, as people might use alcohol to ease social interactions, especially when feeling anxious or down, according to Hacker News. Tolstoy's views on alcohol and substance abuse are evident in his writings, like the essay "Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?" and the play "The Cause of it All". He was also a strong advocate for the temperance movement, establishing his own temperance society in Russia. " ] From Poe's " The Black Cat " [ "I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence. " ]