" EVEN five minutes of straight talk from a physician can reduce alcohol-related injuries and accidents among problem drinking patients, a new study reports."
" In the review of 21 separate clinical trials, researchers at Newcastle University in England and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine found that brief interventions by a physician reduced alcohol consumption by an average of four drinks a week. The review appears in the current issue of the Cochrane Library, a journal published by an international organization that evaluates healthcare research."
" The effect of a physician's counsel was strongest for problem drinkers who did not appear to be alcohol-dependent. "But more severely dependent drinkers, especially those not yet aware of the medical impact of their drinking, will also benefit," said Fred Rotgers, a psychologist at Philadelphia College. "