ABSTRACT
According to the World Health Organization, more than 76 million people worldwide (mostly in developed countries) suffer from alcohol use disorders. In Europe and the Americas, the level of alcohol-related death, disease, and disability ranges from 8% to 18% for males and 2% to 4% for females (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2004). In the Americas, alcohol-related death and disability account for even greater costs to life and longevity than those caused by tobacco use, at least in terms of lost years of healthy life (Murray & Lopez, 1996).
