Rauno Mäkelä

The concept of moderate drinking defined by the clients and the staff of a clinic for alcoholics

Moderate drinking as one goal alternative in the treatment of alcoholics has created a heated debate in Finland. Traditional Finnish drinking habits have comprised the consumption of large inebriating amounts taken less frequently, rather than small amounts of alcohol taken frequently.The present investigation concerns the concept of moderate drinking and its criteria. The study is part of a one-year follow-up study about the treatment plans of alcoholic clients carried out during the years 1981-1982 at the A-Clinic of Tampere, Finland.The material consisted of 111 clients applying for the first time to a clinic for alcoholics. At the follow-up interview after one year, all clients - irrespective of their real drinking goal -were requested to describe what they themselves considered moderate drinking. Most of them wanted to limit their drinking occasions to one day at a time. Only very few accepted drinking more frequently than once a week. The alcohol quantities consumed per occasion varied from one drin...