alifornia, the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs collects data on indicators of alcohol abuse. Statewide, in 1992, a total of 63,563 persons were admitted to alcohol treatment programs. In the city of Los Angeles, 6,808 persons were admitted to treatment programs during that same period. The State also collects data on the number of hospital discharges for alcohol-related disorders. These disorders include alcohol psychoses, alcohol dependent syndrome, non-dependent use, alcohol liver damage, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol gastritis, and "other" symptoms. Statewide, in 1992, a total of 32,505 persons were discharged from hospitals for alcohol-related disorders, nearly a third of this number (10,473) occurred in the city of Los Angeles (Indicators of Alcohol Abuse, 1992, p. 4).
The regular consumption of large amounts of alcohol (defined as more than three drinks per day) is undesirable from the standpoint of health for most individuals. Heavy and chronic drinking is associated with liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, pancreatitis, a predisposition to infectious diseases, an increased risk of cancer, disorders of the reproductive organs, and alcohol-related birth defects. Problems related to alcohol abuse are obvious and visible in many communities.
Another health indicator used by public health officials is the number of alcohol-related deaths. The traditional method of reporting this mortality rate was to tabulate only those deaths in which alcohol was the primary cause. However, most medical and social problems are multifactorial, and alcoholism is no exception. For exampl
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