Alcoholism​—a Disease?

◆ Many are the news items and magazine articles that speak of alcoholism as being a disease. Is it? In 1968 the United States Supreme Court rendered what is considered a landmark decision. It found in a 5-4 decision that alcoholism is not a disease. The majority opinion pointed out that doctors cannot agree “on what it means to say alcoholism is a disease.” Commenting on this Supreme Court Decision, Medical World News of February 20, 1970, said: “The law still considers that alcoholism is as much a paralysis of will power as anything else.”