Alcohol dependency prevention and early intervention.

Current data on efforts to prevent alcoholism indicate that we are better able to prevent some of the consequences of alcohol misuse, such as alcohol-related car crashes and fetal alcohol syndrome, than chronic alcohol dependence itself. A review of data on outcomes of treatment for long-term alcohol dependence indicates that 9 of 10 alcohol dependent persons receive no treatment for the disorder in any given year. When treatment is provided for long-term alcohol dependent persons, it has only slightly positive results. As a result, many clinicians and researchers have concluded that rather than exclusive preoccupation with long-term alcoholics, early intervention with persons who are just beginning to abuse alcohol may be a more effective use of resources.