This review of sociologically relevant alcohol research addresses definitions
of alcohol problems, describes patterns and trends in adult drinking practices
and problems and correlates of alcoholism, and describes social policy re
sponses to alcohol. With implications for many measures of social well
being, alcohol research is relevant to almost all areas of traditional sociologi
cal interest, intersecting with religious and ethnic studies, with studies of
social change and social movements, with theories of social control, with
criminology and social deviance, with media research and analysis of social
organizations, with study of age and gender roles, with medical sociology,
and with sociology of the work place. Sociologically relevant alcohol research
of the last few years, while rich in the above areas, is by no means exhausted
and holds great potential to illuminate issues of general interest to sociologists
as well as to specialists in medical sociology or deviance.