Stanton Peele

Stanton Peele argues in the following viewpoint that while some alcoholics can never achieve total abstinence, harm reduction is a valuable treatment strategy that can protect them from the worst consequences of their alcohol abuse. Further, he contends that brief interventions with a trained counselor can have a more positive impact on an alcoholic than months or years of “recovering” in a group setting such as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Stanton Peele, a psychologist and researcher specializing in drug and alcohol addiction, is the author of The Diseasing of America: How We Allowed Recovery Zealots and the Treatment Industry to Convince Us We Are Out of Control.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Peele, approximately how many alcohol dependent individuals enter treatment"
2. In the author’s...