Alcohol Biomarkers in Patients Admitted for Trauma
Excessive use of alcohol is a common cause of trauma. Among patients admitted to hospital after trauma: 22% has positive blood alcohol levels, 18.7% met current DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse, the majority of patients had one or more adverse health events during their hospitalization, and 25 adverse health events were associated with positive blood alcohol levels. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Treatment Impact on Health Care Utilization and Cost
For patients with substance use disorders entering treatment, there was a substantial decline in inappropriate utilization and cost (hospital and ER) in the post-treatment period. Inpatient, ER and total medical costs declined by 35%, 39% and 26%, respectively (p < .01). Journal of Studies on Alcohol

How Primary Care Providers Talk to Patients About Alcohol (or Don’t)
Provider discomfort and avoidance are important barriers to evidence based brief alcohol counseling. Three themes were identified: (1) providers often did not explore patient-disclosed alcohol use; (2) advice about alcohol use was typically vague and/or tentative in contrast to smoking-related advice, which was more common and usually more clear and firm; and (3) discomfort on the part of the provider was evident during alcohol-related discussions. Journal of General Internal Medicine