I think one's views on this issue will depend in great deal upon whether one has had a first-hand, up-close view of late stage alcoholism. It aint pretty.
My exah is in the late-stage. His brain is damaged. He slips in and out of psychosis. He doesn't have a firm grasp of reality most of the time. If he doesn't drink, he will get DTs and he could die. It's the most heartbreaking thing I have ever witnesses and believe me, I have witnessed alot after watching him come to this after 15 years of marriage. I still love this man. I still worry and care about him.
He spent the last 2 months in jail for driving on a suspended license. But no one gets 2 months for driving on a suspended license. he was given 2 months because several of his neighbors went to the court and expressed how scared they are of him because of his erratic behavior.
My exah is going to get out of jail at the end of this week. I don't know what's going to happen but its very likely that he will start drinking again and may, at some point, end up homeless if he doesn't drink himself to death first.
My exah isn't 'choosing' to drink anymore. It's gone beyond that. And while I understand how the wet houses might look like enabling for alcoholics who are anywhere shy of the final stage, they seem like a compassionate alternative for those in the final stages. My exah is a human being. He is a kind man. He wouldn't hurt anyone. He's just very sick. I mean, very sick. The thought of him having to live on the street through one of Michigan's bitter cold winters (which could happen) makes me incredibly sad.
This is, after all, a disease. Right? I think the hospice analogy works. It most definitely works when dealing with the final stages of this hideous disease.