This book contains selected proceedings from the NATO Advanced Study Institute (AS I) "The Molecular Pathology of Alcoholism" held at the Hotel Il Ciocco in Tuscany during 26th August - 6th September 1990. Alcoholism remains one of the most challenging problems in medical care, with far-reaching medical, social and economic consequences. For example in the U. S. , estimates indicate that 18 million people have a serious drinking problem and that the total cost to the economy of alcohol abuse is $117 billion. Treatment of alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disorders accounts for almost 15% of the total health bill of the United States. Despite the scale of the medical problem, biomedical research on alcoholism remains something of a 'Cinderella science'. Research funding from government and other bodies is relatively poor and the number of medical scientists working in the field remains small. The Organizing Committee for this NATO ASI, comprising Charles Lieber (New York), Timothy Peters (London), Mario Dianzani (Torino), Emanuele Albano (Torino) and Norman Palmer (perth, Director), were therefore particularly grateful to the NATO Scientific Affairs Division for their active support of this AS I, the first dealing with a topic related to alcohol abuse. We moreover hope that this support will continue. The theme of the ASI was an in depth discussion of the molecular events initiated by alcohol abuse that culminate in onset of alcohol-related disease.

Too often attempted suicide leads to unintended consequences, because ignorance is deadly and desperation can be fatal. In this morally courageous book, Geo Stone sets out to diminish the lack of awareness about suicide, from the tragedy of teenage suicide to the debate over assisted suicide.

The Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems have been periodically developed over the past 25 years. In 1993, the first version of these guidelines, titled: ‘An outline for the management of alcohol problems: Quality assurance in the treatment of drug dependence project’ was published (Mattick & Jarvis 1993). The Australian Government commissioned an update a decade later (Shand et al. 2003) and a further edition in 2009 to integrate the Guidelines with the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol (National Health and Medical Research Council, NHMRC 2009; Haber et al., 2009). The present version of the Guidelines was also commissioned by the Commonwealth of Australia to remain current and integrated with the updated NHMRC consumption guidelines (2020). In order to ensure that guidelines remain relevant, the next set of guidelines should be updated in 2025, consistent with NHMRC recommendation that guidelines be updated every five years. These guidelines aim to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to clinicians on available treatments for people with alcohol problems and are largely directed towards individual clinicians in practice, such as primary care physicians (general practitioners, nursing staff), specialist medical practitioners, psychologists and other counsellors, and other health professionals. Some chapters highlight service or system level issues that impact on clinicians and their patients. These include recommendations concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, stigma, and discrimination. Elsewhere, organisation capacity is implied, such as medical resources for withdrawal management where recommendations indicate use of medications. As all forms of treatment will not be readily available or suitable for all populations or settings, these guidelines may require interpretation and adaptation.

Proceedings of a NATO ARW on Advances in Understanding Visual Processes: Convergence of Neurophysiological and Psychological Evidence, held in Roros, Norway, August 6-10, 1990

Volume for 1928 includes translations from Khol's Handbook.