We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which 40 patients who had undergone long-term therapy with benzodiazepines were switched to placebo or to diazepam in a dose approximately equivalent to their usual dose of the benzodiazepine; the dose of diazepam was then tapered during an eight-week period. Patients were assessed clinically and psychologically and had weekly sessions of behavioral therapy.

Jan Koch-Weser, M.D., Editor Though the therapy of alcoholism is based primarily on social, psychologic and occasionally psychiatric measures, drug therapies have been used in at least three major problems: intoxication itself; the withdrawal reactions that follow interruption of alcohol intake; and emotional problems in the post-withdrawal period that may lead to relapse into heavy drinking. This article deals only with the first two, since drug therapy of the third problem is in no way specific for alcoholism.Acute IntoxicationThe phenomena of acute intoxication depend not only on the blood alcohol concentration but also on the rate at which . . .