Controlled drinking as a treatment goal in Australian alcohol treatment agencies

Under the broad umbrella of harm minimisation, the Australian National Drug Strategy has emphasised the development of services aimed at reducing hazardous alcohol consumption in problem drinkers thereby shifting the focus of treatment from abstinence to moderation goals. The objective of the present study was to determine the extent to which alcohol treatment agencies offered advice and treatment aimed at moderation of alcohol consumption (i.e., controlled drinking). Of the 179 agencies (40% of identified treatment agencies across Australia) approached, 66% (115) reported giving advice about controlled drinking as a treatment goal. The reported therapeutic strategies used to assist in the attainment of a controlled drinking goal are empirically supported. Thus, controlled drinking as a treatment goal is widely offered by Australian treatment agencies, by workers who appear well versed in validated strategies and techniques used to obtain such a goal. This finding is discussed in relation to comparison studies conducted in the UK and the USA.