Numerous reports document that preinjury alcohol use is associated with all modes of injury requiring treatment in a trauma center, with 25% to 50% or more of patients testing positive for alcohol at the time of admission. There is evidence that in trauma patients unaddressed alcohol use problems result in recurrent injury requiring readmission to a trauma center and/or death. Methods : A randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of two types of brief interventions to

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... educe drinking and the consequences of drinking. Trauma patients defined as atrisk alcohol users (n ‫؍‬ 497) were ran-domized into two treatment options: a brief personalized motivational intervention (PMI), or brief information and advice (BIA). After a brief assessment, PMI subjects received a motivational session, feedback letter, and two postdischarge telephone contacts, whereas the BIA group received a brochure and one postdischarge telephone contact. Both groups were reassessed at 6 and 12 months postinjury. Results: Both the PMI and BIA groups had statistically significant reductions in drinking, binge episodes, and consequences related to drinking that persisted from the 6-to the 12-month follow-up. However, although not statistically significant, for those classified as lowerlevel drinkers (<1 drink per day), there was a consistent pattern of maintaining reductions for the PMI group at 12 months compared with the BIA group.