Alcoholics known or unknown to agencies: epidemiological studies in a London suburb.

The article presents two parallel epidemiological investigations of the prevalence of alcoholism in the same London borough, England. The first is an inquiry into several reporting agencies such as courts, clergy or employers the number of cases of individuals with drinking problems coming to their notice within the period of April 1, 1965 to March 31, 1966, while the second study involved a house-to-house interviewing of subjects' own report of troubles experienced with drinking during the previous 12 months. The reporting agency surveys revealed an overall prevalence rate of 4.7 percent per 1,000 adults aged over 16. The house-to-house survey gave an overall prevalence rate of 31.3 percent of problem drinking per 1,000 adults aged 18.