Studying drinking problems rather than alcoholism

This chapter focuses primarily on the implications of quantitative, nonclinical studies of drinking practices and problems in planning primary prevention programs. The discussion utilizes the findings of the national probability surveys, directed by the author and his colleagues over the last 20 years, to illustrate how vastly different the survey findings are from studies of clinical alcoholics in terms of prevalence among various age and subcultural groups, and how longitudinal studies have cast question on much of the predictive utility of the disease concept of alcoholism. In closing, the chapter draws attention to the importance of cross-cultural surveys, conducted at intervals, in achieving greater success in primary prevention of severe physical and social problems associated with overconsumption of alcohol.