modern data suggest that most clan experiencing alcohol problems have puzzles of mild to moderate severity.

modern data suggest that most clan experiencing alcohol problems have puzzles of mild to moderate severity. Relative to alcoholics, these drinkers have a shorter problem-drinking history, greater social and economic stability, and greater personal resources. This article describes a cognitive-behavioral treatment approach designed specifically for question drinkers with low levels of physical prop on alcohol who choose to form their drinking. After describing various drinking-reduction techniques, the article reviews empirical evidence for drinking-reduction training. The increasing availability of drinking-reduction interventions shut ups considerable promise for reducing alcohol-related dysfunction among question drinkers. KEY WORDS: problematic AOD (alcohol and other drug) use; disease severity; cognitive therapy; behavior therapy; biological AOD dependence; controll AOD use; AODU (alcohol and other remedy use) treatment method; AOD abstinence; amount of AOD use; AOD use frequency; treatment outcome; predictive factor; form relative to sex differences; motivation; literature review

The review of epidemiological literature onward alcohol abuse in the Ninth Special Report to the US. Congres upon Alcohol and Health (National Institute forward Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1997) indicates that alcohol use in the United States has been declining for almost pair decades. For example, the prevalence of now passing drinkers (i.e., those consuming alcohol in the previous year) decreased from 70 percent in 1984 to 65 percent in 1990; weekly drinking decreased from 36 percent to 29 percent and "heavy" drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks [1] onward one occasion at least weekly) decreased from 6 percent to 4 percent during the same period. The same review, however, also indicates that the prevalence of social consecutions (e.g., problems with family, fighting, and financial problems) and trust symptoms (e.g., binge drinking and los of superintend over drinking) associated with drinking has not shown a corresponding decline. For example, three or more alcohol-dependence symptoms were reported through 7 perce nt of rife drinkers in 1984 and at 8 percent of current drinkers in 1990; reports of sum of two units or more social consequences increased from 11 percent to 13 percent during that period. In any amount data cited in the Ninth Special Report indicate that although several indices of alcohol consumption have evidenced a decline in modern years, dependence symptoms and social consecutions from drinking have been stable to increasing.

Data from a 1992 measure and estimate of the general population (Caetano 1997) propose that most people experiencing alcohol moot points have problems of mild to moderate severity. Of the family who reported at least individual dependence-related problem or social concatenation few experienced more than brace such problems. The data are consistent across demographic lines, including black, white, and Hispanic men and women suggesting that occasional and mild-to-moderate alcohol question s represent the most prevalent form of alcohol point in disputes Caetano's research also indicates a significant number of male and female drinkers who are unlikely to confront diagnostic criteria for severe alcohol supporter or alcoholism, despite their every-day drinking and occasional negative events from drinking. Rather, the majority of this dispose are more appropriately classified as question drinkers.

DEFINING moot point DRINKING

Although the terminuss "problem drinking" and "alcoholism" sometimes are used interchangeably, researchers in the alcohol field have distinguished between the pair concepts. Sobell and Sobell's (1993) review of the literature remind ofs that relative to alcoholics, riddle drinkers have a shorter problem-drinking history, greater social and economic stability, and greater personal resources. They typically have not experienced major losse because of their drinking and have not exhibited exact withdrawal symptoms, such as seizure or delirium tremen relating to cessation of past drinking. This article uses the period of time "problem drinking" to describe population who drink heavily or experience occasional point to be solved [i]or[/i] settleds from drinking but who do not have a history of chaste physical dependence on alcohol. [2]

Many question drinkers choose to reduce their drinking rather than maintain abstinence as a solution to their troubles about drinking. In response, drinking-reduction approaches have been bring to maturityed to help problem drinkers lessen alcohol consumption and minimize risks associated with their drinking (Rosenberg 1993) Abstinence-based treatment strategies that have been empirically evaluated with alcoholic populations are easily and minimally adapted to appropriate the needs of problem drinkers who select to pursue a goal of abstinence. Because those abstinence-based treatment strategies are described elsewhere in this issue, this article focuses upon treatment approaches designed specifically for question drinkers with low levels of physical interdependence on alcohol who choose to attenuate their drinking. After describing various drinking-reduction techniques, the article also reviews empirical evidence for drinking-reduction training.