I dated a guy once who left his kids at home so he could go drinking. One of the girls was special needs, about 10 years old, and the other was a year or two older. So, not toddlers, but still too young to be left home alone in the middle of the night. I actually called the police one night and he was arrested for drunk driving later that night. He called me a few days after and said the cops going to his house and scaring the girls was the worst thing I could have done, and blamed me for everything. However, his ex-wife called me and thanked me.
I was watching a documentary about a woman who went drinking and left her children at home alone. The woman's family only found out about her habit when a bouncer called at 4AM saying she passed out. They immediately went to see about the children. Sad thing is though we live in a world where you do not have to drink to see careless parents doing this regularly.
Yes it is sad in that our society accepts alcohol use very easily then is quick to tsk tsk those who can not control their consumption of it. I hope these people get some professional help as I would not be surprised if out side of this one factor that they are not half decent folks. It is a disease and is treatable if the ill one is willing.
I would like to see devote Christians try to stop praying or thinking of god for a year and see how well they fair. As far as I am concerned it is just as hard for a drinker to stop drinking.