STUDIES SHOW THAT 45 PERCENT OF ALL PERSONS SUSPECTED OF CRIME IN 1975 WERE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL WHEN THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED. ALCOHOL ABUSE WAS CONCENTRATED IN MEN OF THE AGE GROUP IN WHICH A HIGH CRIME RATE WAS ALSO FOUND. MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF RECIDIVISTS, BOTH JUVENILE AND ADULT, REGULARLY ABUSED ALCOHOL. THE RECIDIVISTS FELL INTO TWO GROUPS: A LARGER GROUP FOR WHOM ALCOHOL ABUSE WAS ONLY ONE OF THE FACTORS OF MALADJUSTMENT THAT STARTED EARLY IN THEIR LIVES; AND A SMALLER GROUP, FOR WHOM ALCOHOLISM WAS THE MAIN CAUSE OF CRIME, OCCURRING LATER IN LIFE. ONE-THIRD OF THE FORMER COMMITTED VIOLENT CRIMES OR PROPERTY CRIMES TO OBTAIN READY MONEY FOR BUYING MORE ALCOHOL. MOST OF THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY ALCOHOLICS WERE NOT PROPERTY CRIMES, TYPICAL CRIMES OF OTHER RECIDIVISTS, BUT RATHER CRIMES WHICH HAD ELEMENTS OF VIOLENCE. HOWEVER, SERIOUS VIOLENT CRIMES WERE COMMITTED ONLY BY 5 TO 8 PERCENT OF ALCOHOLIC RECIDIVISTS. THIS MEANS THAT ALCOHOLISM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MEDICAL PROBLEM. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. --IN POLISH.