This guideline “ Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis, assessment, and management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence ” makes recommendations on the diagnosis, assessment, and management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in adults and in young people aged 10–17 years. Harmful drinking is defined as a pattern of alcohol consumption causing health problems directly related to alcohol. This could include psychological problems such as depression, alcohol-related accidents or physical illness such as acute pancreatitis.
In the longer term, harmful drinkers may go on to develop high blood pressure, cirrhosis, heart disease and some types of cancer, such as mouth, liver, bowel or breast cancer. Alcohol dependence is characterized by craving, tolerance, a preoccupation with alcohol and continued drinking in spite of harmful consequences (for example, liver disease or depression…
