Health Behavior Change for Hospitalized Veterans

Veterans drink, binge drink, and drive under the influence of alcohol at higher rates than non-Veterans do. Addressing alcohol misuse, the range of alcohol consumption from risky drinking to alcohol abuse and alcoholism, is a national priority for the VA. It is recommended that people keep their alcohol consumption below limits established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A type of 10-15 minute counseling known as \"brief intervention\" (BI) has been shown to help risky drinkers cut back to the NIH-recommended limits. This study will examine the impact of a nurse-delivered alcohol BI on hospitalized Veterans\' weekly number of drinks, monthly number of binge drinking episodes, readiness to change drinking behavior, and alcohol-related problems. This preventative approach for reducing alcohol consumption is intended to help Veterans avoid many of the physical and psychosocial consequences of alcohol misuse.