You aren't what you drink.

One of our more prominent political leaders, Charles Kennedy of the Liberal Democrats has been hounded out of his job as leader of his party – ostensibly because he has a drink problem.

This has not been an edifying sight although the man himself is receiving treatment and has been dignified throughout the whole sorry mess. What’s been unpleasant has been the sight of his parliamentary colleagues and the massed ranks of the media using his drink problem to lever him out of his job.

Now, whether or not he was unable to do his job isn’t for me to comment on – but what message does this send to the rest of us? That if you have trouble with drink, you’d better keep it quiet or you’ll get the sack? That your employer won’t give you a chance to straighten up and get treatment first? That a personal and intensely private problem can be splattered all over the media and your life messed up by colleagues and journos, plus what is it with this confessional stuff? Why if you have a drink problem must you be expected to fess up in public about it to all and sundry, whether you’re a public figure or not? If alcoholism is an illness, which I for one doubt but let’s for the sake of argument say it is – what other illness requires public humiliation in this way? Yes, by all means admit to yourself you have a problem and tell your nearest and dearest but why must so many people announce themselves as a ‘former alcoholic’ in print or in person? And then expect others to do so too. That’s taking over-identification with a substance to far too extreme a degree.