The Merseyside Council on Alcoholism (M.C.A.) is the first operative regional council on alcoholism in the United Kingdom; it is a voluntary organization employing full-time staff (Kenyon, 1972). In its first ten years it has counselled over 4,000 alcoholics; about one third of these needed admission to hospital, so arrangements for admission were early established with general and psychiatric hospitals and with the regional addiction unit. After individual counselling by the M.C.A. (aided when necessary by detoxification at home, or in a medical or psychiatric ward) the alcoholics usually return to work.