The Alcoholic and Society *Based on talks to the "Crime—A Challenge" Society, Oxford University, in February 1959, and to the Social Service Organisation, Cambridge University, October 1959.

Despite the marked decrease of heavy drinking and of alcohollsin in this country in the first half of this century, alcoholism still institutes a social and medical problem of considerable magnitude. field studies showing the number of alcoholics in this country are available. An estimate carried out a few years ago by the ^Icoholism Sub-committee of the World Health Organisation? )Jised on the percentage contribution of alcoholism to the deaths 'rom liver cirrhosis?arrived at a figure of more than a quarter of a million.1 The number of alcoholics coming to the notice of General Practitioners is much smaller, as shown by a recent survey ^ndertaken by D. Parr.2 However, many alcoholics probably never 'nd their way to doctors or they conceal their drinking problem, and doctors are not trained to recognise alcoholism in its early s'ages. The alcoholic fears that his doctor shares with the rest of he community an un-understanding, unsympathetic or even antag?nistic attitude towards his problem. He may also be afraid that "e doctor may advise him to give up drinking without being able ^ show him a way of living without it. For these and other reasons he figure of 35,000 alcoholics found in General Practice cannot e taken as showing more than the most obvious cases, who are a ?action of the total.3 As the alcoholic's behaviour also closely affects .he lives of his relatives, at least several hundred thousand indivIC*Uals in this country are directly affected by this disorder.