What the hell is the matter with those Europeans? Aren't they smart enough to realize that drinking at an early age leads to a lifelong risk of alcoholism? I have the same problem when I try to explain to Europeans that the war in Iraq is good.

Every profession needs what academics call an "occupational mythology" to sustain it, a set of personal and social dramas, arrangements, and devices, as sociologist Everett Hughes put it, "by which men make their work tolerable, or even make it glorious to themselves and others." As hard drugs are to the hard-rocker and tattoos are to the NBA player, so booze is to the journalist—even if he doesn't drink.

Across the world, there are large philosophical differences in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Some look at alcohol dependence as a disease and others see it as an ingrained behavior.

People remain skeptical about the disease model of addiction. In surveys, half the public called addiction a personal weakness. Among those who did see addiction as a disease, most put it in a special category of diseases that people get by making poor choices.

The "War on Drugs" is now a clear and complete failure. After more than 35 years of wasting money on this fight, we have lost. There are no fewer drugs or drug addicts than when we started this "War." The Government needs to step in and demonstrate that they want to fight addiction in a way that they can win, by providing treatment to those who need it.

The conditioning approach to explaining addiction is restricted to one (or two) aspect(s) of the issue of drug abuse. That is, it is focused on the environmental (and the biological) aspects of drug abuse. But, it does not take into consideration the personal choice that is involved.

There is little doubt that regarding alcoholism as a disease, rather than as a moral weakness, has brought benefits to alcoholics/addicts. However there are many critics of the disease model, both on the grounds that there is little evidence to support it and that it may in fact be detrimental to recovery.

The definition of alcoholism isn't as cut-and-dried as it's been. New studies are prompting experts to reassess exactly what does and doesn't constitute being an alcoholic. Carrie Wilkens, Ph.D., says "What's really changed is whether or not people need to sign on for the label of 'alcoholic' in order to get help with their alcohol problems."

These days, cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs are better known for the problems they cause than the ones they solve. Over a century ago, though, the stimulant effects of cocaine and the painkilling qualities of heroin and other opium-derived drugs made these common ingredients in over-the-counter medicines.

It has now been over 5 years since I abandoned abstinence. I feel happier than ever and I have begun to develop many aspects of my life that rigidity had kept me from exploring before. I feel more relaxed, less fearful, more profoundly impressed with the human experience.