I didn't care for that article; they did too many shell game switching of abuse/dependence and were polling 12 year olds but then reporting only legal drinkers, etc. I didn't understand why public awareness was needed either, unless they are saying that those with an abuse problem are the "public".

I don't know that those with a problem are in "denial" either; they worded it as whether one "perceived they would benefit from treatment" and my perception of whether I would benefit from treatment has a lot to do with whether or not I would in fact benefit from that treatment! Treatment for alcohol abuse/dependence isn't so successful that they can imply that all someone has to do is quit "denying" and go get treatment and they would be "cured".

The way the article quoted the DSM too, did not differentiate in frequency of behavior; I don't know any younger drinkers (legal; underage drinkers have a de facto problem) who at one time or another don't cross one of the vague boundaries stated above but whether they do it habitually or over a "significant" period of time (i.e., don't "wise up") matters to me.

I would agree that there are a lot of people in denial about their drinking problems; probably somewhere in the neighborhood of those who are in denial about their weight or other lifestyle problems but I don't know that my (I'm "public") knowing that a whole lot of college kids (or even the majority of adults I don't know) have a problem is something I can do anything about? If the bus driver greets me and had alcohol on his breath, I'm getting off the bus and reporting him; but I'm not suspecting strangers on the street that they may have a problem that they're in denial of? If I have a problem and am in denial, I'm not going to change by reading this article (assuming I would read this article in the first place if I were in true denial?).