Let me ask you this... if this was someone in your family would you laugh at them and make light of the situation... or would you be optimistic and believe that they could get some help? I agree with your assertions on self control, however, the formalities of science are always changing. For instance, just because people believed, for years, that the Earth was the center of the universe doesn't mean that the formalities of astronomy were exempt from being challenged. I'm a history major, and one thing I do know about scientist is that they are often experiencing scientific schisms and revolutions. Alcoholism is nothing to poke fun at... not only does it present health problems... it also can ruin relationships. In many ways, alcoholism is more dangerous, in a larger sense, than cancer. It's not only deadly, but it makes other people at risk of becoming abused or emotionally scarred. Then there's always the problem of a drunk getting behind the wheel of a car. I've lost to many friends to the hands of a drunk driver.