Long-term primary intervention apparently rests in a large-scale alcohol education program that presents facts on alcohol abuse and how it relates to offending, allied with directives on how to drink safely and sensibly. Alcohol Education Courses (AEC's) have been established in the United Kingdom as a secondary intervention to provide alternatives to custodial sentencing, fines, deferred sentencing, and cautioning. AEC's include the use of drink diaries, self-monitoring, examination of clients' offending history, and training in alternative skills to reduce drinking behavior. Scottish AEC evaluation research indicates that both talk-based courses and information-based courses have reduced alcohol consumption among participants. The behavioral course achieved significant reductions compared with a control group. A recent study of the use of self-help manuals compared with group-based intervention (using the same manual) in a penal institution found little support for either form of minimal intervention for reductions either in alcohol abuse or offenses. 56 references