Authors: Kaner EF, Beyer F, Dickinson HO, Pienaar E, Campbell F, Schlesinger C, Heather N, Saunders J, Burnand B.

Many trials reported that brief interventions are effective in reducing excessive drinking. However, some trials have been criticised for being clinically unrepresentative and unable to inform clinical practice. This article aims at assessing the effectiveness of brief intervention, delivered in general practice or based primary care, to reduce alcohol consumption.

Authors: McQueen J, Howe TE, Allan L, Mains D, Hardy V.

The objective of this article is to determine whether brief interventions reduce alcohol consumption and improve outcomes for heavy alcohol users admitted to general hospital inpatient units. The main results of this review indicate that there are benefits to delivering brief interventions to heavy alcohol users admitted to general hospital wards in terms of reduction in alcohol consumption and death rates.

Authors: Peter Anderson and Ben Baumberg (Institute of Alcohol Studies)

This public health report on alcohol, requested and financed by the European Commission, describes the social, health and economic burden that alcohol brings to European citizens, families and to Europe as a whole; this is a burden that increases social marginalization and exclusion and places a strain on the viable, socially responsible and productive Europe, as envisaged by the Lisbon strategy.

Authors: Peter Anderson, Antoni Gual and Joan Colom (PHEPA)

This trainning manual is one of the products of PHEPA (Primary Health Care European Project on Alcohol), which aims at the integration of health promotion interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption into primary health care professionals' daily clinical work.

Authors: Peter Anderson, Antoni Gual and Joan Colom (PHEPA)

The aim of these guidelines is to summarize the evidence of the harm done by alcohol and how to manage hazardous and harmful alcohol use in primary care. The guidelines also describe alcohol dependence and how it can be managed, so primary health care providers know what to expect when more difficult to manage patients are referred for specialist help.