Seven out of 93 alcohol addicts were found on follow-up to have been drinking socially for continuous periods of 7 to 11 years after discharge from the Maudsley Hospital, London, where they had been treated for their addiction. None of them had been drunk in that time and all were socially better adjusted than they had been for a year before admission. All 7 were men, though the group of 93 had included 24 women. They had been treated by general measures, including disulfiram, discussions, and social help, during a hospital stay of 2 to 5 months. Four of these patients had followed advice to give up their pre -treatment occupation which had exposed them to many invitations and opportunities to drink. It is suggested that such cases are more common than has hitherto been recognized, and that the generally accepted view that no alcohol addict can ever again drink normally should be modified, although all patients should be advised to aim at total abstinence.