Physician interventions in alcoholism--past and present.

Controversy over how physicians could address the public and private agonies inflicted by alcohol-related disorders has remained active throughout American history. Public and professional attention during the past quarter century has focused primarily on the identification and referral for treatment of the alcohol-dependent or alcoholic individual. Recent controlled research into medical intervention has shown that primary care physicians have an important opportunity to reduce the severity of alcohol-related problems at many points along their course and can provide effective care in the office setting. This article describes how these interventions have developed and highlights their importance in the context of recent changes in health care delivery systems.