Educating the alcoholic, as practiced at Patton State Hospital, California, is a therapy program attempting to train and educate the alcoholic in skills that would enable him to remain abstinent or to achieve successful controlled drinking. The inability to alleviate social and psychological stress is seen as the greatest learning deficit. (BL)

The adequacy of preventive education modalities in drug and alcohol education programs is questioned. Dilemmas facing students and teachers are discussed with the conclusion that communication must be accomplished within a common frame of reference for both the educator and student recipient. (BL)