Some health officials are concerned about the current sustained increase in reported deaths from alcohol-related conditions, attributing this increase to a rise in alcoholism  What these health officials are overlooking, however, is that attitudes toward alcoholism have changed radically  Alcoholism is now widely viewed as a disease, whereas in the past it was considered a moral failing
It is ttherefore likely that more deaths are being reported as alcohol-related because physicians are more likely to identify these deaths as alcohol-related
Even though alcoholism is considered to be a disease, most doctors recommend psychological counseling and support groups as the best treatment.