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A variety of laboratory tests are available to assist in the diagnosis of hazardous alcohol consumption and related disorders. Standard tests, such as serum gamma glutamyltransferase activity and erythrocyte mean cell volume, have limited sensitivity, particularly in detecting non-dependent hazardous consumption. Most also have poor specificity in that results are affected by common diseases and medications. Over the past 10 years a number of new laboratory tests have emerged. One of these, carbohydrate deficient transferrin, has high sensitivity in detecting persons with alcohol dependence, and shows promise for identification of non-dependent hazardous drinking; it is also highly specific. Others such as measurement of bound acetaldehyde, serum β-hexosaminidase and the ratio of urinary serotonin metabolites offer promise in detecting recent heavy drinking. However, many issues remain unresolved …