ABSTRACT
Professionals dealing with individuals and investigators studying the health consequences of environmental and occupational exposure to neurotoxic agents are familiar with the clinical manifestations of alcoholism and drug abuse and the misuse of these observations. The neuropsychological picture of chronic alcoholism is important to bear in mind in either clinical neurotoxicology or epidemiological studies of neurotoxic illness. A conservative estimate is that about 10% of the population who drink develop the psychological and physiological dependence on alcohol that characterizes alcoholism. The behavioral approach used by expert groups such as the National Council on Alcoholism or the DSM-III-R is to ascertain the degree to which an individual’s behavior is patterned around alcohol intake. Alcoholism is a complex disease that begins as a choice and— in a number of individuals—ends with catastrophic consequences. It is a voluntary intake of a powerful mood modifier.
