Alcohol is an important risk factor for development of numerous chronic diseases and it is a cause of 3 million deaths worldwide every year. The Czech Republic is one of the countries with highest alcohol consumption per capita in the world. AUDIT and CAGE are examples of fast and easy screening tools for early diagnostics of patients at risk that help in estimating a level of risk related to patients drinking. The screening is followed by simple advice for risk drinking and brief intervention for harmful drinking, based on the estimated level of risk. This approach is an easy and effective prevention measure to reduce risk and harmful alcohol drinking and prevent further progression of drinking. Implementation of this approach into routine clinical practice can be a significant step in reducing alcohol consumption in the Czech population.
Keywords: alcohol; brief intervention; early diagnostics; harmful drinking; mass screening; risk drinking; screening.