by Thomas R. Hobbs

About the author: Thomas R. Hobbs is medical director of the Physicians’ Health Programs, an advocacy service for physicians suffering from impairing conditions.

The debate on whether alcoholism is a disease or a personal conduct problem has continued for over 200 years. In the United States, Benjamin Rush, M.D., has been credited with first identifying alcoholism as a “disease” in 1784. He asserted that alcohol was the causal agent, loss of control over drinking behavior being the characteristic symptom, and total abstinence the only effective cure. His belief in this concept was so strong that he spearheaded a public education campaign in the United States to reduce public drunkenness.

The Temperance Movement

The 1800s gave rise to the temperance movement in the United States. Alcohol was perceived as evil, the root cause...