DEAR ABBY: Is it OK for a person who went to AA a few years ago and has gone totally alcohol-free, to start having a beer every other night or even keep a bottle of vodka around to have every now and then? Or should you stay alcohol-free to be sure that this issue doesn't happen again? -- ALCOHOL-FREE
DEAR ALCOHOL-FREE: For some individuals it may be possible to have an occasional drink without falling completely off the wagon, but I wouldn't recommend it. And as to keeping a bottle of vodka around to nip into "every now and then," I think that makes as much sense as keeping a box of chocolates in the house if someone is addicted to sweets. (And many of us are!)