The dataset used for this analyses include 5,195 ED patients from five sites in four countries, Santa Clara, California (U.S., 1995-1996 (n=1,429)), Pachuca, Mexico (during 1996-1997 (n=1,417)), Warsaw and Sosnowiec, Poland (2002-2003 (n=1,317)) and Mar del Plata, Argentina (during 2001 (n= 978)). Details about these samples have been published elsewhere[16]. The response rates were: Santa Clara 73%, Pachuca 93%, Warsaw 67%, Sosnowiec 65% and Mar del Plata 92%. Both injured and non-injured patients were interviewed regarding quantity and frequency of usual drinking and frequency of high maximum occasions during the last year, frequency of drunkenness, alcohol dependence and abuse/harmful drinking questions, and demographic characteristics (age, gender, percentage injury, and education). Data were collected using a similar methodology and instrumentation developed by Cherpitel[17]. All studies used a probability sampling design in which each shift was equally represented for each day of the week during the period data were collected in each ED facility. Across all studies, patient samples of those 18 and older were selected from ED admission forms, which included walk-in patients as well as those arriving by ambulance, and
