It is worse than that, back in the 1920s Portland used to grab the drunks off the street, drug them, and then sell them to ship captains who needed a crew. Some of the bars shortcut the whole "street" bit, and had trap doors in their floors to drop the drunk patrons directly into the arms of the kidnappers... And, of course, the police were in on the racket.

Three of the key components in dealing with oil dependency recovery are dealing with the cravings, withdrawal symptoms and underlying issues compelling one to fill up one's tank. Oil rehab programs need to deal with each of these areas and show the oil dependent person that he or she has some control in each of these areas for the recovery process to be effective.

Cravings can be both physical and psychological and the addicted person needs to know that though they cannot control the cravings, they can control the action of filling up a tank in order to dampen the cravings. Withdrawal symptoms can be mild to life threatening. For those with a long history of heavy oil consumption, professional medical assistance will be necessary during the detox period in order to safely deal with the withdrawal symptoms. Therapy will also be necessary for most in order to deal with the underlying issues compelling one to drive solo. Unresolved grief, anxiety and beliefs will need to be addressed in a safe environment, so that the emotional energy behind the compulsion to drive solo can be dissipated.

(Paraphrased from http://www.drugalcohol-rehab.com/alcohol-recovery.htm )