On the basis of data of persons who have died of cirrhosis of the liver, it is estimated that there were approximately 422,640 alcohol addicts (those with alcohol-related health and adaptation problems) in Hungary in 1984. The at-risk population is estimated at about 500,000. In Hungary, causes of alcoholism include social norms and values favoring alcoholism; radical social, political, and economic changes in the past 40 years; and increased deviance originating from socialization disorders. Data on the alcohol-crime relationship for 1974-1983 show that alcohol-related offenses accounted for 22.2 to 27.5 percent of known offenses. Further, alcohol consumption was more likely to be implicated in the offenses of recidivists than in those of first-time offenders. Act IV of the new Criminal Code contains rules related to offenders whose crimes were committed in relation to alchohol: on the one hand, it establishes criminal responsibility; on the other, it prescribes medical treatment for those addicted to alcohol. Two forms of treatment are specified in the Criminal Code: compulsory detoxification or treatment in a work therapy program. Because a direct relationship between the offense and alcohol consumption often is difficult to prove, compulsory detoxification is rarely ordered by the courts. 6 notes.