The conventional treatment for chronic alcoholics is abstinence. Not in Ottawa. At the Oaks, a residence for those who were once homeless, occupants are given a measure of white wine at hourly intervals throughout the day. The \u2018Managed Alcohol Program\u2019 has improved the health of its participants, reduced their alcohol intake, and in some cases enabled them to stop drinking altogether. It\u2019s also saved the city of Ottawa millions of dollars in public services \u2013 one man was hospitalised 191 times in the six months before joining the programme. Hours and hours of police time have been clawed back too \u2013 this is a population used to stealing to feed addiction, but the hourly \u2018pour\u2019 enables them to refrain from criminal activity. The Ottawa programme has been introduced in other Canadian cities, and it\u2019s now attracting international attention. Linda Pressly spends time at the Oaks to find out how it works.<\/p>\n