Public health professionals who subscribe to the biological model or the learning model of addiction agree that former alcoholics cannot learn to drink moderately without becoming dependent on alcohol again.

The biological model of addiction suggests that individuals have a physiological predisposition to addiction, making moderation difficult or impossible for those who have been dependent. However, the learning model posits that behaviors, including substance use, are learned and can be modified. Therefore, according to the learning model, it might be possible for some individuals to learn to drink moderately.