A randomized prospective study of 625 drug addicts on methadone maintenance revealed that 105 (17%) were active alcoholics, 47 (8%) were inactive alcoholics and 473 (76%) were not alcholics. The active alcoholics were randomly assigned to abstinence therapy, controlled drinking with behavior modification or a control group receiving the usual clinic services. There were no differences between treatment and control groups at baseline and during follow-up of up to 2 1/2 yr, and there was no relation between remission and treatment, suggesting that the effectiveness of currently used specific interventions of alcoholism in active alcoholic addicts maintained on methadone cannot be demonstrated.