Research and political realities: What the next twenty years hold for behaviorists in the alcohol field

Abstract

Contemporary political realities are addressed in terms of implications for future research in behavioral approaches to alcohol problems. Increased funding trends for addiction research and recommendations for establishing a National Institute on Addiction are reviewed. Evaluation of treatment effectiveness will become the criterion for future program funding rather than treatment philosophy or traditional beliefs about alcoholism. Cost-effective considerations will promote the need for early intervention and minimal intervention programs. Turning to the topic of controlled drinking, controversy over the use of this term (or related terms such as “responsible drinking”) is discussed. It is recommended that we replace these terms with the more acceptable label of moderation training. Use of moderation training as a secondary prevention approach with high-risk drinkers is outlined, along with criteria for selecting treatment goals of moderation or abstinence.