[Brief intervention about alcohol use].

The brief intervention lasts from 5 to 20 minutes and uses motivational interview techniques. This brief intervention is addressed not at alcohol-dependent patients (approximately 1.5 million people in France) but at those whose consumption is harmful or at risk (estimated at approximately 4 million people in France), especially men. The efficacy of the brief intervention is demonstrated by numerous randomized studies and meta-analyses. A mean reduction of one glass of an alcoholic beverage a day results, with consumption returning to a moderate rather than at-risk level for approximately 30%. This efficacy has been demonstrated for a duration of at least 4 years. Given that evidence also supports the behavioral changes, these findings should be taken into account by healthcare providers.