Skinner H A
Department of Behavioural Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ont.
CMAJ. 1990 Nov 15;143(10):1054-9.
Most adults in North America are either light drinkers or abstainers, so alcohol does not cause them problems. However, a small but often highly visible minority--approximately 5% of the adult population--show major symptoms of alcohol dependence. Between these extremes, there is a sizable group of about 20% of the population, particularly young men, who are drinking at risk levels and have encountered some problems related to their alcohol use. Traditionally, physicians' efforts have focused on diagnosing and treating patients with a substantial history of alcohol dependence, and relatively little attention has been given to early intervention with nondependent problem drinkers, such as identifying patients who present in primary care settings with alcohol-related morbidity or an accidental injury. Recent evidence indicates that early intervention by primary care physicians is an effective strategy for reducing alcohol problems among patients.
北美大多数成年人要么饮酒量少，要么滴酒不沾，因此酒精不会给他们带来问题。然而，一小部分但往往非常显眼的少数群体——约占成年人口的5%——表现出酒精依赖的主要症状。在这两个极端之间，有相当大的一群人，约占总人口的20%，尤其是年轻男性，他们饮酒量处于危险水平，并遇到了一些与饮酒相关的问题。传统上，医生的工作重点是诊断和治疗有大量酒精依赖史的患者，而相对较少关注对非依赖型问题饮酒者的早期干预，比如识别在初级保健机构就诊的、患有与酒精相关疾病或意外伤害的患者。最近的证据表明，初级保健医生的早期干预是减少患者酒精问题的有效策略。
