Alcoholics DO get liver transplants.

[janterry]

8. They ask for addicts/alcoholics to be clean/sober for

several months (6 months used to be the requirement to be placed on the list) prior to transplant.

They used to exclude them from the lists (I think back in the 80's??). But there was research into inclusion - and many (post transplant) were able to maintain their clean/sober lifestyle.

Anyway, I don't remember the year of the shift. It kind of evolved post research -

The problem wasn't the ethics of general treatment.....but rather the ethics of a large transplant list and not enough organs.

The initial thought was that many would simply relapse post-op and the organ would fail (why transplant to a person who would not use the organ for a long time - when it could go to someone who WOULD use it for a long time). Again, that seems not true following research. Many do very well post-transplant. So, that knowledge contributed to the change.