Inquirers, triers, and buyers of an alcohol harm reduction self-help organization

Abstract

Moderation Management (MM) is the only self-help organization designed to help problem drinkers who wish to moderate their alcohol consumption rather than abstain. Experienced MM members tend to be highly educated and employed and have minimal signs of physical dependence on alcohol or co-occurring drug use. As a result, MM is sometimes dismissed as an organization that attracts only “the worried well”, or, is initially accessed by a wide range of problem drinkers but ultimately retains only “easy cases” as enduring members (e.g., alcoholic individuals are tempted to join MM but relapse and drop out immediately). Both of these possibilities were evaluated by comparing 445 nonmembers who were called MM's helpline (“inquirers” or “callers”), 41 early stage MM members (“triers”), and 124 experienced MM members (“buyers”). In general, experienced MM members reported the most severe drinking histories, followed by early stage members and then by callers, whose reported problems were quite modest. Measures of social stability and resources did not tend to differentiate the groups. Thus, it appears that contrary to what some have speculated, even though MM does attract a relatively privileged population in demographic terms, those with more serious alcohol problems are the most likely, rather than the least likely to become long-term MM members.