In our evaluation, we discovered that courts that mandate treatment have lower recidivism rates than those jurisdictions that don't. But, today we're confronted with a new problem - not being able to access treatment because of managed care. They fall through the cracks because they can't pay for it. Frequent contact with a concerned supervisor helps discourage lapses into old behavior patterns. Aftercare is an absolute key component to stopping the repeat drunk driver.
Treatment is necessary.
You have to educate them. But you also have to stay on top of them. You just cannot expect them to survive or do well for a long period of time without constant supervision. Unfortunately, cost is a major issue in this approach, and many jurisdictions do not have the authority to offer probation at all. There are a lot of municipal county courts that have no probation departments.