Potential Alcoholic Potential alcoholics drink excessively and dangerously, but may not yet have progressed beyond human aid. Many will eventually become Real Alcoholics in time. Big Book: "I studied economics and business as well as law. Potential alcoholic that I was, I nearly failed my law course. At one of the finals I was too drunk to think or write." Page 2, Bill's Story "Potential female alcoholics often turn into the real thing and are gone beyond recall in a few years." Page 33, More About Alcoholism "We who are familiar with the symptoms, see large numbers of potential alcoholics among young people everywhere. But try to get them to see it!" [In later editions, an * leads to a footnote indicating that there are more younger AA members than in the early years of the Program.] Page 33-34, More About Alcoholism Of the idea that knowledge of the disease of alcoholism will protect one from getting it: "That may be true of certain nonalcohol...