When you go to a party, more often than not, you'll be offered a drink before anything else. When you're socializing with friends or co-workers, bars are common places to meet. Most people don't recognize how difficult we make it for recovering alcoholics to stay sober. If you know someone in recovery, try to be sensitive to what is, for them, a constant struggle. That's why I have plenty of soft drinks available whenever I entertain.
Some addicts say that the craving for cocaine is more powerful than that for other drugs.
A craving is a craving. What's important to keep in mind is that all addictive drugs have an effect on brain chemistry and liver function. Brain chemistry presents the biggest challenge to recovery because we don't fully understand the kinds of neurological changes long-term drug use causes. The liver, after all, can regenerate if the patient stops using and eats well. Of course alcoholics need to remember that just because their liver function has returned to normal, it doesn't mean they can drink again.