>> mitchell: nearly 18 million americans have problems with alcohol, this according to the national institutes of health, and for men who have tried and failed to shake their addiction, one program offers a controversial approach. and that's tonight's "weekend journal." an alcoholism safe house where you can find alcohol. >> i'm a chronic alcoholic. >> reporter: ricky is 47 years old and has been drinking for 33 years. yet, he considers himself a lucky man. where were you living before you came here? >> underneath penn avenue bridge. >> reporter: in this quiet corner of st. paul, minnesota, st. anthony's residence is the last refuge for men who have repeatedly lost their battle with the bottle but here it is always 5:00. >> here, we have a place designed for them to drink, and they've cut down considerably. >> mitchell: program manager bill hockenberger looks after the basic needs of 60 men. they get a safe place to sleep, three meals daily, and $89 a month, spent mostly on alcohol. >> in i don't want to quit, you're not going to be able to stop me. >> mitchell: tell me why you think this is a good idea. >> it's better than us out on the streets getting drunk, getting hit by cars, getting beat up. >> mitchell: sober himself for 16 years, hockenberger understands the disease-- the shakes, the seizures, the battle. >> i'll get you over in that direction. i've seen things through their eyes, and i know what these men have been through and i know where they're at tod. >> mitchell: in and out of 12-step programs and hundreds of detoxes, these men have to prove they're failures in order to get in. but rather than reinforce failure, the philosophy here is harm reduction-- they drink less, they're fed, they're safe. >> guys that walk in the door here have pret much had their last fight. >> mitchell: paid for my bye catholic charities and state of minnesota, supporters say enabling this population to drink is economical. >> from a taxpayer perspective, it makes tremendous common sense. >> mitchell: st. anthony costs $49 per man for day, compared to $200 a night in detox. >> sometimes it doesn't work out for people. people do die there. they-- they experience the last days of their alcoholism, but they do it with dignity. >> mitchell: but critics say these men should not be written off. in a statement, hazelden treatment director william moyers says: >> stand firm on what i do here. nobody's come up with a better solution. >> mitchell: treatment is always available to people who want it. and sometimes, someone does put the bottle down. >> i was tired and i needed to quit. >> mitchell: rhard fischer, who has lived at st. anthony's for two years, says he's been sober for 18 months and is looking for job traing. >> yeah, it's a big world out here. i'd definitely like to get back into the workforce. i'm not couldn'ting myself out. i feel like i still have a little gas left in the tank. >> these are the men that people seem to turn their head walk down the street, these other people, that they won't make eye contact with. these are the men that come here with broken hearts. i-- it's a humane thing to do. >> mitchell: st. anthony is one of at least two so-called wet houses in the united states. the idea is now being considered in other cities as well. and still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, the wedding photo