The future of alcohology: craft or science?

The authors discuss the problems that have resulted from the influx of professionals into the field of alcoholism, which has historically been dominated by paraprofessional workers. The interaction of the professional alcohologist, who operates from a scientific model, with the paraprofessional worker, whose model of treatment has followed craft lines, has created unique problems and tensions. A synergism has been created which has been detrimental rather than complementary. The authors suggest that the future of the alcoholism field will have to be established along craft (paraprofessional) or scientific (professional) lines because the two models cannot profitably co-exist.