[Alcohol problems in the health services--secondary preventive strategies]

An effective secondary preventive programme to deal with alcohol problems presupposes adequate knowledge of the population's drinking habits, the problems accompanying alcohol abuse, the manner in which the health services encounter the problem drinker, professional expertise in secondary prevention, and the methods shown by research to be effective. The knowledge does exist, and it only remains to implement a unified programme for secondary preventive measures within the health services at a local or national level.