THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES REPORTED FOR DRINKING OFFENSES HAS INCREASED SHARPLY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, EUROPE, AND THE UNITED STATES AND CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO PARENTAL AND PEER INFLUENCES AS WELL AS A LACK OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. ALCOHOLISM IS MUCH MORE SEVERE IN SCOTLAND THAN IN ENGLAND OR WALES AND IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL BECAUSE OF SOCIAL ATTITUDES FAVORING HEAVY DRINKING. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND VIOLENT OFFENSES CAN BE SEEN IN CHILD ABUSE CASES, BATTERED WIVES, AND GROUP VIOLENCE. PROBLEM DRINKERS FALL INTO SEVERAL CATEGORIES WHICH PRESENT DIFFERENT PROBLEMS FOR THE POLICE AND SOCIETY. THE ADOLESCENT DRINKER NEEDS TREATMENT IN ORDER TO AVOID SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. THE DISORDERLY AND VIOLENT OFFENDERS CAN BE HANDLED BY ARREST AND COURT PROCEEDINGS. PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS IS ESSENTIALLY AN URBAN PROBLEM WHICH OCCUPIES A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF POLICE TIME. THESE OFFENDERS COULD BE SENT TO A CENTRALIZED LOCATION TO SOBER UP AND HAVE THEIR DETOXIFICATION NEEDS ASSESSED. THE CURRENT STRATEGY IN ENGLAND IS TO SHIFT THE HOMELESS ALCOHOLIC AND THE HABITUAL PUBLIC DRUNK FROM THE PENAL SYSTEM INTO REHABILITATION SERVICES. EXPERIMENTAL REHABILITATION PROJECTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER, AND LEEDS. SUCH PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, ARE EXPENSIVE AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IS QUESTIONABLE BECAUSE OF THE HABITUAL DRUNK'S LACK OF MOTIVATION. MOREOVER, MANY DETOXIFICATION EXPERIMENTS HAVE NOT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS OF TIME FOR POLICE AND COURTS. ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS AFFECT ANY SOLUTION OF THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM AND PRIORITY MUST BE GIVEN TO JUVENILES AND ALCOHOLICS WHO ARE LIKELY TO RESPOND TO TREATMENT. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A GRAPH RELATING DRUNKENNESS CONVICTIONS AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND A FLOW CHART FOR REFERRALS TO DETOXIFICATION CENTERS. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ARE ALSO PROVIDED. (MJM)