Originally Posted by
strategery 
That's not true. I've seen a lot of work going on in this area. There is a lot of funding going towards understanding alcoholism as well as looking for new treatments for alcoholism. Heck, it even has its own institute at the NIH (NIAAA), same with drug abuse (NIDA).
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 2.5 million people die from Alcoholic Related Illness or Liver/Renal Failure. If this was a virus, it would be all over the news and there would be an outrage. As it is a bunch of old/young drunks that "bring it on themselves". There is no appetite to spend public money in tackling this problem.
Its a harsh reality, but many people out there believe we reap what we sow, so why should public money or private investment go into making us well again.