NCJ Number
52385
Date Published
1978
Length
26 pages
Annotation
AN OVERVIEW OF DRINKING AND ALCOHOLISM IS PRESENTED, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ALCOHOLIC OFFENDER'S TREATMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
Abstract
PATTERNS OF STATE REGULATION OF ALCOHOL ARE SUMMARIZED, TERMS USED TO DESCRIBE DEGREES OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ARE NOTED, AND PROBLEMS IN DEFINING THE NATURE OF ALCOHOLISM ARE DISCUSSED. THE STATUS OF ALCOHOL AND DRINKING IN AMERICAN SOCIETY IS CONSIDERED, WITH REFERENCE TO THE SKID ROW PHENOMENON AND TO STATISTICS ON THE DRINKING HABITS OF FEMALES, YOUTHS, AND ETHNIC GROUPS. THEORIES REGARDING THE GENESIS OF ALCOHOLISM ARE REVIEWED, AND THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF DRINKING ARE DESCRIBED. VARIOUS TYPOLOGIES OF DRINKING STATES, INCLUDING ONE BASED ON THE DISEASE MODEL OF ALCOHOLISM, ARE NOTED. THE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLIC OFFENDERS IN THE COURTS AND IN PRISONS AND JAILS IS DISCUSSED, AS IS THE PROBLEM OF DRUNK DRIVING. SEVERAL APPROACHES TO TREATING ALCOHOLISM--DISULFIRAM MEDICATION, ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, DIVERSION AND CIVIL COMMITMENT PROGRAMS, EMPLOYER-SPONSORED PROGRAMS, RELIGIOUS-SPONSORED OUTREACH TREATMENT (E.G., THE SALVATION ARMY'S SKID ROW PROGRAMS), AND HALFWAY HOUSES--ARE SUMMARIZED, AND THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE GOAL OF TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOLISM (ABSTINENCE VERSUS MODERATION) IS NOTED. ESTIMATES OF THE SOCIAL COSTS OF ALCOHOLISM ARE QUOTED. ALCOHOL-RELATED POLICY DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE IN THE AREAS OF DECRIMINALIZATION OF PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF ALCOHOL, ARE REVIEWED. THE FOLLOWING PREDICTIONS ARE OFFERED: (1) ALCOHOLIC OFFENDERS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR SOCIETY, BUT THEIR DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WILL LESSEN AS THE TREND TOWARD DECRIMINALIZATION OF PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS CONTINUES; (2) TREATMENT PROCEDURES BASED ON THE MOTIVATIONAL STRUCTURES OF MIDDLE-AGED PERSONS MAY HAVE TO BE MODIFIED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE INCREASING NUMBER OF YOUNG ALCOHOLICS; (3) ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT AND RESEARCH, WHICH HAS DEVELOPED LARGELY OUTSIDE THE TRADITIONS OF MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SERVICE AND RESEARCH, WILL BE INTEGRATED WITH WORK IN RELATED SCIENTIFIC AND SERVICE AREAS AS ALCOHOLISM BECOMES MORE VISIBLE AND ENGAGES MORE RESOURCES; AND (4) MANY OF THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT ALCOHOLISM WILL BE ADDRESSED BY THE FIVE ALCOHOL RESEARCH CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN 1977. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)