ABSTRACT
Approximately two thirds of men and one third of women in Westernized countries, where no religious taboo associated with drinking exists, consume one form of alcoholic beverage or another. Within this large group of individuals, roughly 10 to 18% develop an alcohol abuse problem or become alcoholics.83 Alcohol abuse and alcoholism have profound health consequences and are characterized by impaired control over drinking and an obsessive preoccupation with alcohol consistent with a drug dependency. Harmful drinking patterns characterized by overdrinking lead to repetitive problems such as loss of work or school truancy, frequent verbal and/or physical abuse of loved ones, and driving while intoxicated.83
