Drinking is conventionally defined on four levels: social, heavy, problem, or dependent.

The last two categories carry significant health penalties. In the short-term, drinking leads to loss of inhibitions, poor physical coordination, and lack of judgement.

Long-term, the effects are worse: loss of brain cells, liver failure, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, some types of cancer, nerve damage, heart failure and epilepsy - but not all of the above at the same time.

Treatment may involve the short-term use of anti-anxiety drugs such as Valium, to get through the "cold turkey" stage.

Two other drugs may in some cases be prescribed: disulfiram, which causes unpleasant effects if alcohol is drunk, and acomprosate, which influences transmitters in the brain and reduces the craving for alcohol.

Advice is available from GPs, and counselling may be helpful. Alternatively, groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous provide support and guidance, recommending that alcoholics have only choice - giving up completely.

Despite the evidence of heavy drinkers such as Geroge Best, who never conquered the addiction, many alcoholics do succeed in becoming ex-drinkers.

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