Prevention Issues with Children of Alcoholics

Summary Recognition of parental alcoholism as a risk factor for alcoholism is extremely important. Few other illnesses or social conditions have such a clear‐cut marker. Its presence clearly forms the basis for public information programs, but development of more detailed, sophisticated prevention efforts is not now warranted because the scientific base is not strong enough. Preventive interventions proposed and adopted by the grass‐roots children‐of‐alcoholics movement need to be tested under controlled conditions before committing public funds and health resources.