[May the general practitioner not be concerned about the alcohol consumption of his patients?]

Based on a literature review, the author points out the importance, in adult general medicine practice, of the prevalences in different alcohol consumption levels, alcohol induced sicknesses and dependencies. The very large frequency of these problems in general practice, the somatic repercussions of an excessive consumption and the general practitioner's possibilities of action on preventive and curative levels lead the physician to make a research about the alcohol consumption level of all his patients, to write it down on the patients files, to give at least a pronounced advice and to carry out a follow-up. The actual commitment of general practitioners and their issues are tackled. French inquiries show that if intention of research on risk patients is very frequent (85% of the practitioners), this attitude is far from being systematic for a whole practice (research by less than 50% of the practitioners and inscription in a space for less than 30% of the patients files). This relative commitment seems to be induced (french and belgian inquiries) by an underestimation of the effect of the advice given to the patient, and by a discouragement feeling in front of the impression of low treatment efficiency as well as the relapses and the attitudes of that kind of patients.