Giannis Boutaris is no longer with us, having experienced everything in his 82 years of life and leaving the world full of it, with him having given the relevant slogan years ago, when in 2018 he answered “I lived it, I’ve had enough, goodbye”, to a question about whether he would go for a third term in the Municipality of Thessaloniki or in a parliamentary position.
One of the issues, about which the late mayor of Thessaloniki, businessman and winemaker, had spoken very openly, was that of alcoholismwith him in some cases making deep confessions.
“Everybody was betting I’d roll again at my wife’s death”
“One thing that could characterize me is my relationship with wine. Even when I die, I will die with a bottle of wine in my hand,” he said.
“I met my wife in 1954. We were high school freshmen. Since then a siege began and in 1958 we fixed them. After much, we got married in 1964 and had three children. In 1981 we broke up. Late ’88, early ’89, I was up to my ears in alcohol. My wife was living with someone else and I told her that “I can’t live without you. If this man enchants you, you will stay with him, if he doesn’t enchant you, come and start our life again” he underlined, referring to the fluctuations of the relationship he had with his wife.
If he would give any advice to anyone who has an addiction, he emphasized that first of all, “he has to admit it and in order to break free, he has to say that he wants it. I’m an alcoholic, even though many people tell me that “you’re not, since you don’t drink”. No. All alcoholics always say “I am an alcoholic”. Not to drink today, what will happen tomorrow, I don’t know…”.
Also, Mr. Boutaris said that today it is not alcohol that creates addictions, but the phone, while regarding the earrings he wears, he replied: “The Vlachs have a habit, a custom, when a child is born, to wear an earring, which is for the eye . To follow in dad’s footsteps, I also put on the earring when my first granddaughter was born.”
“An alcoholic never says I was an alcoholic, I say I am.” The mood remains simply you say I won’t drink e.g. tomorrow. In addition, you have to admit that you need help because you are humiliating yourself and you cannot do everything by yourself. Fortunately, since going through rehab in 1991, I have not had a drink and have no desire to. When Athena died they placed bets that Giannis would roll again but I didn’t put a sip in my mouth”, said Giannis Boutaris.
“It was a refuge from my fears”
In another talk about his battle with alcoholism, he confessed in TEDx Talks: “Alcohol was a refuge from my fears.”
Referring to the same topic, when asked what advice he would give to someone who is addicted, he estimated that this person must first “admit it” and “want to be free”. “I’m an alcoholic, even though many people tell me that “you’re not, since you don’t drink”. No, all alcoholics always say “I am an alcoholic”. Not to drink today, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”
Accordingly, in his interview with NEWS 24/7, when asked if this “a drink at home to relax” is dangerous, he answered:
“I don’t think it’s dangerous. There are 2-3 categories of people who drink: social drinkers who only drink with company and not alone, those who drink in moderation and those who drink without knowing how to stop. If you have a drink to relax at home, you are – I think – in the second category. Alcoholics drink to escape reality.”
Source: www.diaforetiko.gr
