Alcoholism isn't just a problem. It's a disease. Treating it can be tough, especially when many are in denial.

"After a while enough people get tired of hearing about it and looking at it," said Dr. William Haning of the University of Hawaii, "maybe people will choose to do something about it."

State Representative John Mizuno is taking the lead, interested in hearing more about medications that can curb alcohol dependence.

"In fact drunken driving is a major problem," Mizuno said, "and it provides a big safety issue to our state."

Doctors told him addiction medication, along with counseling and therapy can help cure alcoholism. Some medication will make you sick if you drink, others diminish the craving..

"Even if they don't stop drinking all together," Haning says, "they end up drinking less."

Mizuno stops short of forcing people to get treatment, but wants to start a pilot program, perhaps working with those who have been ordered by the court to go to rehab.

"If we have a pilot program and show the high success rate of it, this could be a blueprint of moving more to the mainstream so everyone else can get involved in this type of treatment," he says.

"Doctors should whereever possible be working collaboratively or cooperatively with patients first," Hanning said, "when that fails then there may be elements of social control needed."

Representative Mizuno plans to draft legislation to introduce next session.

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