An estimated 1.5 million San Diego adults use alcohol, with 170,000 estimated to be frequent heavier drinkers. About 90 percent of students have used alcohol by the 12th grade, and 27 percent use it once a week or more. Alcohol consumption results in deaths, injuries, and lost productivity at an economic cost of over $1 billion annually. Other alcohol problems in San Diego County include traffic deaths and injuries, police enforcement problems, and an increasing demand for alcohol recovery services. During 1987, over 42,000 misdemeanor alcohol-related arrests were made by police. The Division of Alcohol Services has adopted a planning model that emphasizes the identification of alcohol problems and the adoption of strategies to reduce these problems. The primary flaw in the county's public health approach to prevention is the misconception that a well-founded policy presumes a basis of support for future action. The leap from concept to real world implications must receive regular and repeated consideration in the political arena to assure continuity in policy. Further, acceptance and acknowledgement of public policy responses to alcohol problems by alcohol service providers should not presume a willingness to advocate and lobby for those policies. The Division of Alcohol Services must design and sustain mechanisms to inform concerned groups about their legitimate role in shaping policy responses to alcohol problems and must be attentive to the role of information dissemination and public education. 8 references