[Alcohol abuse and dependence in former East Germany and new united Germany].

The objective of this paper is the description of the transformation process after the reunification of East- and West-Germany taking the health care structures for alcoholics as an example. First the epidemiology of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are presented such as the individual alcohol consumption. These data are completed by hospital data. The social and organizational problems created by the transformation process after the reunification of Germany are described. Necessary structural changes and the expected development are discussed.