While it sounds frightening, I do not see it as a problem.
Speaking as a former plane owner and pilot, I do not see aviation experience having so much to do with the job of a controller. It mostly depends on concentration, sharp memory, and attention to detail. I knew several controllers on a social basis before my becoming a pilot. None of them were pilots at the time.
Before 1981 the ability to consume large amounts of alcohol was a plus. Now with flow control and ground stops not so much.