BRATISLAVA (SITA) - In Slovakia, there are more than 160,000 alcoholics, and each year 10,000 new ones join them. The Association of Slovak Abstinents (ZAS) has developed programs trying to help the cured alcoholics. These are people who after being cured from alcoholism decided to stay away from alcohol, ZAS president Pavol Podmajerský told SITA on Monday at a press conference. The association helps abstinents by group and music therapy and tourism. "We try to include in these post-treatment activities the widest possible circle of people from the abstinent's life, mainly the family. We bring new life possibilities to their attention so that a healthy life-style opens up," ZAS vice president Jozef Prilinger said. He says there is a demand for the 30-page publications that ZAS provides to its clients because of their simple form and the way they explain alcoholism. Moreover, "people who are treated for alcohol addiction cannot keep their attentio focused. When they see a book that has 100 pages they do not want to read it," Prilinger added. ZAS is a non-government, non-profit, and apolitical association that emerged in 1995. It has 15 branches over Slovakia and registers about 1,000 members. The association is a regular member of the Slovak Humanitarian Council. Anyone over 15 can become a ZAS member.