As soon as Zac Guildford's plane landed when he returned from Rarotonga he should have been whisked off to rehab.
This talented young man has a drug addiction that is affecting his life.
Alcohol in excess can do that but we rarely view alcohol as a drug that people
get hooked on.
It causes serious health problems particularly in young adults. People with an addiction problem need professional help.
It is not something that many will be successful at, if they attempt to go it alone.
Zac's drug addiction didn't just start yesterday and for him to be successful in beating it, and he has said this is what he wants to do, he will need to remove himself from his usual setting, drinking haunts and yes - drinking mates.
If Zac started drinking before the age of 15 then he was four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who wait and begin drinking at age 21.
But hey, who is that stupid in New Zealand to wait until they turn 21!
And everything is stacked against them anyway.
Wherever you look today young people are bombarded with liquor advertisements.
It's just so cool to drink. And if you play rugby you have even less chance of making it to 30 years with your brain still fully functioning.
The liquor companies that are the big sponsors of rugby in New Zealand are peddlers of drugs.
That's why Zac shouldn't be kicked off the All Black team.
He never stood a chance and I would guess "there but for the grace of god" could apply to many of our current and former All Blacks.
Alcohol and rugby. Rugby and alcohol. You don't get one without the other.
His family should now insist that his addiction treatment be paid for by the liquor companies.
Rugby is responsible for spawning a culture of excessive drinking in New Zealand. It has been that way for decades.
After matches it is natural for alcohol to be readily available to players and fans alike. But it is a drug, albeit a legal one.
It is classed as a depressant, meaning that it slows down vital functions - resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly. In Zac's case it affected his mind by reducing his ability to think rationally and distorted his judgment to the extent that he walked into a bar naked and whacked two patrons.
But his teammates and the friends with him in Rarotonga need to hang their heads in shame.
This isn't the first time Zac has let himself down with his drunken behaviour. In Rarotonga he wouldn't have been getting drunk all on his own.
So what would a mate do? If all else failed, and he wouldn't listen to reason, deck him and put him to bed.
His mates are responsible for aiding and abetting his behaviour. Alcohol costs the public health sector $655 million a year, with another about $1.17 billion in lost productivity, $200 million in social welfare and $300 million in other government spending.
That's an annual bill, you and I as taxpayers, have to stump up with every year and it's getting worse, not better. I believe people drink for a reason, possibly to change something in their lives.
For young people it may be to fit in, escape or relax, relieve boredom, seem grown up, rebel or experiment. They think alcohol is the solution. But eventually, the drug becomes the problem.
Zac will find it difficult to quit and he needs to quit, not just reduce his drinking.
The sports clubs that sell alcohol also need to take a sobering look at what they are overtly causing in young people - alcohol dependency. And friends who do nothing need to re-evaluate the meaning of friendship.
You wouldn't let your mate walk out into the road in front of a speeding car would you? So why not try to prevent him from becoming a drug addict?
Alcoholism isn't a destination you arrive at but a progression.
A long road of deterioration in which life continuously worsens. Zac will hopefully get the help he needs but what of the others in our community and families.
Who reaches out to help them? They can't do it on their own. They're drug addicts for goodness sake.
