Former representative: Legislators have easy access to booze

Former Republican Representative Tom Burcham, who acknowledged his problem and resigned following a DWI arrest, says the problem is the easy availability of alcoholic beverages for legislators.
The following passage is taken from an article in today's Columbia Tribune occasioned, of course by the DWI arrest Saturday night of Senate Assistant Minority Leader Chuck Graham, D-Columbia:

Burcham, who said he has been sober since his last DWI arrest, admitted he had problems with alcohol before being elected. He said serving in the House gave him easy access to alcohol.

"It’s more commonplace than it is in the general population," he said. "There are more opportunities to drink. At most functions, almost at all functions, it’s free to eat and drink at your pleasure. Nobody thinks badly of it. I’m not using that as an excuse - I had a problem - but alcohol and food are more readily available on a nightly basis" for legislators "than it is to a typical person in the work force."