Four hundred and sixty eight newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary TB patients at the DTC, Goa Medical College, Goa, were studied on standard domiciliary therapy. 240 were suffering from alcoholism; 86.8 of non-alcoholics and 71.7 of alcoholic patients received full drug therapy. 9.7 of the controls and 25 of the alcoholic group defaulted. Overall default rate was 20.1 in this study. Alcoholic patients do respond to intensive and repeated motivation and become more compliant.