Assessment and monitoring of alcohol-related problems

Employers are increasingly requesting employees to submit to screening for alcohol-related problems (ARPs). Holistic assessment, leading to problem identification and treatment, can lead to a reduction in the number of accidents occurring in the workplace. This article argues against the practice of assessment based solely on blood levels of liver enzymes and mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes and introduces a new diagnostic test which, if used with a full and systematic assessment, may lead to more accuracy in diagnostic interpretation.