Telling an alcoholic to completely abstain from alcohol is stupid?

Clearly he's going to need more help than just telling him to quit, but pretending that he can moderate his consumption of alcohol when he is biologically incapable of doing so is a betrayal.

Well, with chemical dependencies it's a bit different, but this guy's advice isn't for people hooked on snorting credit cards, it's for everyone. Preaching to kids that they should never drink though is a waste. Teaching them to make sure they aren't driving afterward and don't find themselves doing it too often or too heavily is much more effective.