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Approximately 11 to 15 million persons in the United States report current heavy use of alcohol or alcohol abuse and dependence, costing almost $100 billion each year.^47,58,113 Almost one half of these persons meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol dependence, and almost 400,000 persons are in treatment for alcoholism at any one time.^4,47,107 The lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse is 14% and of alcohol dependence is 8%, and there are more than 1 million discharges with an alcohol-related diagnosis, mostly alcohol dependence, from U.S. short-stay hospitals each year.^37,129 The prevalence of alcohol use disorders is high in the general population and is higher in general hospitals and in outpatient medical practices.^{21,22,23,63,158} Clearly, physicians are in frequent contact with persons with alcohol problems. Physicians have the opportunity to …