WHY ALCOHOLISM IS A DISEASE

Arguments of proponents and critics of a disease concept of alcoholism are reviewed. It is concluded that the disease concept of alcoholism is in accord with modern usage of the concept of disease in the philos ophy of science and the practice of biomedical science. Ascription of the term ''disease'' involves a value judgement by experts that observ ed lawfully recurring signs and symptoms are a significant deviation f rom a norm or standard of health. Value judgments of this and other ki nds are inherent in biobehavioral science and its application. Critici sms of the traditional conception of the disease concept fail to disti nguish empirical questions of etiology, treatment, and the characteris tic features of alcoholism from the conventional and evaluative nature of the classification ''disease.'' A critical review of the empirical research purporting to question the signs and symptoms of loss of con trol in alcoholic is also provided.